8/3/2019 Pandemic Influenza Q&A - DoD Force Health Protection & Readiness

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An inuenza pandemic occurswhen a new inuenza virus

emerges for which there is lile or noimmunity in the human population, begins to cause serious illness and

then spreads easily person-to-personworldwide. The spread throughoutAsia and into parts of Europe andAfrica of an Avian, or Bird Flu, is areminder of the damage to humanand animal life that can be caused bythe inuenza virus. Many scientists believe it is just a maer of time untilthe next inuenza pandemic occurs, but the timing and severity of thenext pandemic cannot be predicted.

To prepare for the threat posed by

a Pandemic Inuenza, the federalgovernment issued the “NationalStrategy for Pandemic Inuenza”in November 2005 to guide “ourpreparedness and response to aninuenza pandemic with the intentof (1) stopping, slowing or otherwiselimiting the spread of a pandemicto the United States; (2) limitingthe domestic spread of a pandemic,and mitigating disease, sueringand death; and (3) sustaininginfrastructure and mitigating impact

to the economy and the functioningof society.”

This spring, DoD unveiled theits Pandemic Inuenza (PI)Implementation Plan, a key part of amulti-agency initiative to prepare thenation for a potential mass outbreakof a deadly inuenza virus or otherthreats. Capt. D.W. Chen, M.D.,Director of Civil-Military Medicinefor the Oce of FHP&R, answersquestions on why issues of Pandemic

Inuenza (and related Bird Flu) arerelevant to the military community.

Q How would you characterizeDoD’s involvement in dealing with a

 pandemic outbreak?

 A DoD’s primary involvement inthe event of a Pandemic Inuenzaoutbreak is to protect our activeduty Service members and othermission critical personnel throughthe administration of vaccines and

 Why Preparng fr Pandemc Flu s s imprtant t DoD

antivirals, the provision of personalprotective equipment, and theimplementation of communitydisease mitigation measures to limitspread of the virus. The Department

of Homeland Security (DHS) hasthe main U.S. government lead incoordinating response to catastrophicincidents here in the homeland;the Department of Health andHuman Services (HHS) has the maingovernment lead in addressingmedical/public health response. DoDalso will provide, when available andwhen ocially requested, criticalsupport to both of these civiliangovernment authorities, as well as toother federal agencies.

A pandemic occurswhen a new infuenza

virus emerges forwhich there is lile

or no immunity inhumans.

Q Why is DoD involving itself in ahealth issue?

 A The Military Health System (MHS)was created to provide medicaland health service support criticalto maintain our national securitymission worldwide.

The MHS prevents and treats injuriesand disease, and promotes health toour active duty Service population,as well as provides for and sustainsthe health care benet to the entireDoD beneciary population.

Q How will DoD protect itsworkers/personnel, especially withmission-essential roles?

 A DoD will protect our active dutymembers and other mission criticalpersonnel through the administrationof vaccines and antivirals, theprovision of personal protectiveequipment and the implementation

of community disease mitigationmeasures to limit spread of the virus.

Q What are DoD’s essential servicesand how will they be maintained in

the event of absenteeism? ADoD must be able to sustain itsnational security mission acrossthe globe, even during a pandemic.Keeping sick people at home,especially children, is critical tolimiting disease spread. Allowingcaregivers to stay home to providefor sick family members also iscritical.Mission critical personnel, includingforward-deployed forces, health

care providers, etc., will be givenrst priority for vaccines, antiviralsand personal protective equipment.Arrangements are underway tohelp facilitate the ability to allowDoD employees to work from homethrough telework.

Q Is DoD involved in vaccine ormedication production? Monitoringof the spread of the disease/virus?Containing the outbreak?

 ADoD is not directly involved inthe manufacture of FDA-approvedvaccines or medications. However,DoD has acquired, as has HHS,advanced supplies of medicalcountermeasures and will distributethese in the event of a pandemic.

Q Who will assist HHS? DoD,DoD Civilians, Guard or Reserve?

 A Support to civilian authority,when ocially requested and

available, will be provided througha combination of Title 10 active dutyand/or civilian DoD employees. Title32 National Guard are primarilyState assets.

Q This is an interagency approach.How are the dierent agenciesensuring proper task distribution,interagency communication?Should we expect to see responseexercises addressing this? How

by Scott Stearns, FHP&R Staff (Q&A by Benjamin Bryant)

FALL 2007 FHP&R—The Magazine of Force Health Protection & Readiness

8/3/2019 Pandemic Influenza Q&A - DoD Force Health Protection & Readiness

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are preparations done with othercountries?

 A Federal agencies workedcollaboratively in developing theNational Implementation Plan forPI and continue to work togetherin implementing many of the tasksidentied in the plan.

Indeed, only through closecoordination of the many agencieswithin the U.S. government,including DoD, can we, as a nation,address the many challenges of apandemic.

Q Timetables are mentioned inthe Implementation Plan. Doesthis mean DoD is not ready todeploy now if necessary? Is therea prioritization regarding which

components will be ready rst?The Implementation Plan is dated

 August 2006. Did the clock startback then?

 A The timelines for the taskingsidentied in the Implementation Planaccompanying the National Strategyfor PI, use May 2006, the date of itspublication, as the starting date.

(The DoD PI Plan was published inAugust 2006.) We have completed oralmost completed many of the taskswhere DoD has the lead.

Q The Plan includes Pre-ScriptedRequests for Assistance, the same vehicle used during a HurricaneResponse. Is the approach to deal

with a pandemic leveraging o theapproach to deal with a naturalenvironmental disaster?

 A DoD has been working with HHS,DHS, and other federal agenciesto develop playbooks and to writeprescripted Requests for Assistancefor military support to accompanya number of catastrophic incidents,including hurricanes and pandemicinuenza.

Q How can preparations limitthe eects of a pandemic when thesource or means of transmission areunknown?

 A Our knowledge about how afuture PI outbreak might behave is based upon our previous experiencewith pandemics during the 20th century, as well our knowledgeand experience of annual seasonal

inuenza. Yes, there are still manyunknowns, but we are using the best available science to guide ourpreparedness eorts.

Q What can each person do to helpnow? What about in the event of a

 pandemic? 

 A There is a lot everyone can do toprepare themselves today – knowl-edge and preparation is power whenit comes to Pandemic Inuenza.Persons should learn as much as theycan about the disease and how it isspread.Many measures can be taken athome and in the workplace to limitspread of the virus through ordi-nary hygiene, such as frequent handwashing and staying at home if youare sick.

Q If a pandemic arises, where can people go for information? 

 A There’s no need to wait until apandemic arises, people can startlearning more now by referring tothe DoD PI Watchboard at: 

www.dod.mil/pandemicu

Pillar Two

Surveillance and

Detection

DoD is conducting inuenza

surveillance at laboratories

within the United States and

on its installations worldwide.

Policies have been developed,

or are under development, to

enhance detection capabilities to

the lowest possible level. Systems

are in place that can identify

outbreaks of disease in deployed

forces.

Pillar Three

Response and

Containment

DoD will ensure policies and

guidelines are in place to limit the

spread of a pandemic inuenza

outbreak and to mitigate health,

national security, economic and

social impacts. Examples include:

clinical guidelines concerning the

screening, diagnosis, treatment

and management of patients with

conrmed infection or suspected

exposure have been developed

along with policy guidance

for commanders to exercise

emergency health powers.

DoD has aligned its critical planning in accordance with the national strategy pillars

and priorities outlined in the National Strategy for Pandemic Inuenza

DoD will continue to develop plans and policies that contribute to an active, layered defense and will

work diligently to ensure our nation is prepared to face a future pandemic threat.

FALL 2007 FHP&R—The Magazine of Force Health Protection & Readiness

Pillar One

Preparedness and

Communications

DoD will continue planning for a

pandemic and will communicate its

expectations and responsibilities

to all members of the Department.

DoD will produce and stockpile

vaccines, antiviral and Medical

Materiel, and establish distributionplans for these items. DoD will

continue to advance scientic

knowledge and to accelerate

development of effective

countermeasures.