The Department of Health has published its National Pandemic Influenza Plan, outlining what measures will be taken should there be a worldwide flu epidemic.
The report includes a dedicated hotline, reorganising health services to ensure necessary staff are available and the use of antiviral drugs. According to Prof William Hall, chair of the Pandemic Influenza Expert group, Ireland has stockpiled enough anti-viral drugs to treat almost half the country's population.
For planning purposes, the report adopted an infection rate of between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of the population; a hospitalisation rate of between 0.55 per cent and 3.70 per cent; and a fatality rate of between 0.37 per cent and 2.50 per cent.
The document is a joint effort from the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive. It provides guidelines on the health response to pandemic influenza and advice on the necessary planning across all sectors of society.
The Minister for Health, Mary Harney, welcomed the publication of the report, and said that the preparation for such a pandemic would remain a priority in 2007.
The documents also lay out the strategy for informing the public about influenza pandemics and what they should do in the event of an outbreak. Although there has not been a major outbreak in recent years, Prof Brendan Drumm, chief executive of the HSE, warned that the threat has not gone away.
"The measures identified in this National Plan are designed to reduce the impact of a pandemic. If a pandemic arises each of us has a role to play in ensuring that it is managed", said Prof Drumm.
