Environmental & Emergency Management
Pandemic Influenza - Prevention and Treatment
What should you be doing?
Protect yourself against the spread of the flu and other germs and viruses:
Stock up on items to have on hand for an extended stay at home:
Examples of food and non-perishables | Examples of medical, health, and emergency supplies |
| Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables, and soups | Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood-pressure monitoring equipment |
| Protein or fruit bars | Soap and water, or alcohol-based hand wash |
| Dry cereal or granola | Medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen |
| Peanut butter or nuts | Thermometer |
| Dried fruit | Anti-diarrheal medication |
| Crackers | Vitamins |
| Canned juices | Fluids with electrolytes |
| Bottled water (1 gallon a day per person) | Cleansing agent/soap |
| Canned or jarred baby food and formula | Flashlight |
| Pet food | Batteries |
 | Portable radio |
| Manual can opener |
| | Garbage bags |
| | Tissues, toilet paper, disposable diapers |
What is the treatment for the Flu?
For the quickest recovery of the seasonal flu, get plenty of rest, drink fluids like juice, water, or tea. Do not give any medications without first consulting your family physician. If a fever lasts more than 3 days, see a doctor, where they may subscribe available antiviral medication.
Because there has been no previous exposure or historical data collection on the current pandemic flu, vaccines may be unavailable in the short term. To offset and lessen the chances of contracting this virus, besides following above information, it is essential that everyone maintain healthy and sanitary precautions, like hand-washing and the use hand sanitizers, as well as following ‘proper’ sneeze and cough etiquette- cover your nose and mouth when sneezing followed by washing your hands.
Does a flu shot protect against pandemic flu?
Current flu vaccines will not protect against a new pandemic strain of flu virus. Because it takes several months to develop and distribute vaccine for a new strain, a vaccine probably would not be available in the early stages of a pandemic. If a pandemic occurs, it is expected that the U.S. government will work with many partner groups to make recommendations to guide the early use of vaccine.
Are there any other treatments for pandemic flu?
Antiviral medications can be used to treat and/or prevent influenza viruses. However, flu strains can become resistant to antiviral medications. For example, only one antiviral medication works against the H5N1 Avian Flu virus identified in human patients in Asia in 2004 and 2005. The supply of this antiviral medication is very limited worldwide, and no pharmaceutical company in the United States manufactures it.
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