Community Planning

Overview

To help keep communities healthy during the upcoming flu season, it will take all of us- community and faith-based organizations, government, businesses, and schools-working together. The federal government alone cannot prepare for or respond to the challenge of the 2009-2010 flu season. Your community can develop strategies that reduce the impact and spread of flu.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed a document—H1N1 Flu: a Guide for Community and Faith-based Organizations - that highlights specific action steps that CFBOs can take to support flu response efforts.  In addition, CDC has developed guidance on specific actions that local governments and CFBOs can take to help limit the spread of flu.

Checklist

• Faith-Based & Community Organizations Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Checklist 

  (PDF - 68.91 KB)
   [En Español (PDF) (268KB)]
  Identifies specific actions for community organizations to prepare for a pandemic.
  

Vaccines

• H1N1 Vaccine Tort Liability Immunity
  The H1N1 vaccine declaration provides tort liability immunity to a group named “program planners.”  Program planners can include private sector individuals and organizations, community groups, schools, or businesses.
  

Guidelines

• Facemask and Respirator Use
• CDC Recommendations for the Amount of Time Persons with Influenza-Like Illness Should be Away from Others
• Interim Guidance for Homeless and Emergency Shelters on the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (June 16)
• CDC: Interim Guidance on Day and Residential Camps in Response to Human Infections with the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (June 14)
• CDC: Guidance for Public Gatherings in Response to Human Infections with Novel Influenza A (H1N1) (May 10)

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  Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation Plan Now to Be Ready for the Next Flu Pandemic (PDF - 213.55 KB); (DOC - 51 KB) The Next Flu Pandemic: What to Expect (DOC - 47 KB); (PDF - 226.83 KB) CDC guidelines on actions, designed primarily to reduce contact between people, that community government and health officials can take to try to limit the spread of infection should a pandemic flu develop. Appendix 8 contains information for faith-based and community organizations.

• WHO: Interim Planning Considerations for Mass Gatherings in the Context of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza (PDF - 160 KB)
  Get risk assessment, planning and coordination, detection, monitoring, and transmission reduction of event-related flu, medical management , and public health messages guidance.
• Pandemic Flu Planning Guidance for MRC Units (Medical Reserve Corps)
  Provides guidance for Medical Reserve Corps Units to help their communities prepare for a pandemic.
• Control of Pandemic Flu Virus on Environmental Surfaces in Homes and Public Places
  Explains how cleaning and disinfecting surfaces can help to prevent the spread of pandemic influenza

 Planning Guides

• Mass Medical Care with Scarce Resources: A Community Planning Guide  (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
  For State, local, community, and facility planners, this guide discusses ethical and legal issues, and considerations regarding pre-hospital care, hospital/acute care, palliative care, and alternative care sites. Chapter 8 is a 29-page case study for a flu pandemic.