How is the Australian Government protecting the country
A federal pandemic plan is in place
The National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, issued by the Health Minister, Tony Abbott, guides our nations' preparedness and response to a flu pandemic with the intent of: 5
- Stopping, slowing, or otherwise limiting the spread of a pandemic to Australia
- Limiting the domestic spread of a pandemic and mitigating disease, suffering, and death
- Sustaining infrastructure and mitigating impact on the economy and the functioning of society
Antiviral stockpiling is a crucial part of the Australian national strategy for Pandemic Influenza5
Major components of the critical preparedness and ready response actions include:
- Intensifying surveillance and collaborating on containment measures –
both international and domestic - Stockpiling Antivirals and vaccines and working with industry to expand
capacity for production of these medical countermeasures - Creating a seamless network of federal, state and local preparedness,
including increasing healthcare surge capacity - Developing the public education and communications efforts that will be
critical to keeping the public informed
A plan based on known pandemic principles5,21
Strategies outlined in the governments plan are based on an understanding of pandemics and flu disease, and are guided by several overarching principles:
- Preparedness will require co-ordination among Federal, State, and local
Government and partners in the private sector - An informed and responsive public is essential to minimising the health
effects of a pandemic and the resulting consequences to society - Domestic vaccine and production capacity sufficient to provide vaccine
for the entire Australian population is critical - Quantities of antiviral drugs sufficient to treat 44% of the Australian population
have been stockpiled. - Sustained human-to-human transmission anywhere in the world will be the
triggering event to initiate a pandemic response by Australia - Where possible and appropriate, basic public health measures will be
employed to reduce person-to-person viral transmission and to prevent or
delay influenza outbreaks - At the start of a pandemic, vaccine, which will initially be in short supply,
will be procured and distributed to State and local Health Departments for
immunization of predetermined priority groups
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