New Guidelines for State Pandemic Planning
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled a comprehensive pandemic influenza guidance document for states this week.Guidance materials outline three overarching strategic goals that states' plans should address: ensuring continuity of state government and agency operation, protecting citizens, and maintaining critical infrastructure and key assets.
Several operating objectives are included in each goal. For example, for maintaining critical infrastructure, states are encouraged to build private-public partnerships and beef up protection and information sharing. Objectives for incorporating EMS and 9-1-1 into state planning activities are included as Appendices B-12 and B-13 and follow guidance documents coordinated by NASEMSO through a cooperative agreement with NHTSA in 2007.
To download the complete guidelines, visit http://www.pandemicflu.gov/news/guidance031108.pdf.