BOSTON — In the event of an avian influenza pandemic, old-fashioned containment strategies will need to be the first line of defense to limit exposure, David Heyman, a terrorism expert, said at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.
The best countermeasure in the case of a pandemic is vaccine, but vaccine is unlikely to be available for at least 4–6 months after the onset of the outbreak.
Antiviral treatment could help improve outcomes but has been shown to have only a modest effect on transmission and may also be in short supply in the event of an influenza pandemic, said Mr. Heyman, director and senior fellow for the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Homeland Security Program in Washington.
The U.S. strategy for responding to an avian influenza pandemic has so far centered on vaccine production and development, stockpiling of antiviral medications, and state plans for distribution. Although it is important to focus on vaccines and antivirals, those treatments are unlikely to be ready in time for the first wave of a pandemic, he said.
“There are a number of tools in our toolbox. The strategy needs to be figured out. We don't have a specific strategy right now,” Mr. Hewitt said.
One factor that will be key to bringing a pandemic under control would be to slow transmission until vaccines and other medicines become available. Some of the possible elements of a disease-containment strategy that are being considered by the U.S. government include closing schools, encouraging social distancing, voluntary household quarantines, and masking and good infection control.
It is important that the least restrictive measures necessary are used, and the public must be engaged as a partner in the response, he said. “They need to be educated, starting today.”
However, implementing such containment strategies would be a challenge because many people are resistant to strategies that involve quarantine because of “the historical use of quarantines that led to deprivation of rights and privacy,” he said.