U.S. Department of Defense Pandemic Influenza Phases

[tyto]

FYI.

The U.S. Department of Defense recently raised their pandemic phase levels from zero(0) to one(1) for Northern Command and Pacific Command. All other regional commands are still at phase level zero.

Interesting to see the differences between the DOD's phase levels and the WHO's definitions. Follow link below.

http://fhp.osd.mil/aiWatchboard/DoDPhases.jsp

 

[mixin]

Re: U.S. Department of Defense Pandemic Influenza Phases

Please excuse the interruption of service during a scheduled power outage on November 7 and 8, 2009. All Force Health Protection & Readiness web sites will be down those 2 days. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Hmm, I need a refresher course on these 2 branches.
I wonder what the purpose of a scheduled power outage is?

What exactly do they do to support USG efforts?

Inter-Pandemic Period
0. Prepare DOD for continued operations in the event of a PI.

Pandemic Alert Period
1. DOD supports USG efforts to prevent or inhibit the geographic spread of the virus.
2. Support USG efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
3. Support USG efforts to delay or halt the virus geographically.

 

[JimO]

Re: U.S. Department of Defense Pandemic Influenza Phases

Limiting the spread or containing an outbreak sound like quarentine to me.

 

[mixin]

Re: U.S. Department of Defense Pandemic Influenza Phases

My second thought was: "Why bother to prevent or inhibit it now, when they've pretty much let it spread at will for the last 6 months?"

I would have thought they would have gone to #1 as soon as the pandemic was announced. #2 doesn't bother me a whole lot; going to #3 would certainly grab my attention.

Then I thought maybe they have plans for the near future. Do they know something we don't?

Well, lack of trust sure brings out the tinfoil...

 

[tyto]

Re: U.S. Department of Defense Pandemic Influenza Phases

My second thought was: "Why bother to prevent or inhibit it now, when they've pretty much let it spread at will for the last 6 months?"

I thought the same thing, why bother to prevent the spread of the novel pandemic influenza now.

Unless...it's been confirmed there's a virulent strain out there hiding in the noise of the current influenza outbreak. The signal to noise ratio would be very low in the beginning. Or maybe raising the DOD phase level to one doesn't mean anything.

Just wondering...