"The feeling among health officials and agencies worldwide is that it would be irresponsible not to prepare for the avian flu."

— James Steckelberg, M.D.
Editor

Mayo Avian Flu Special Report:
Help People Prepare for a Pandemic

Concern about an avian influenza pandemic has intensified with the appearance of several human cases of H5N1 influenza in regions previously unaffected by bird flu. For businesses, an avian flu pandemic could cause widespread disruption with expected absences of between 20 and 50 percent of the working population for two to six weeks, loss of service from suppliers, loss of emergency services, and stress on key business units.

Pandemic Flu: A Special Report on How To Prepare was created to educate your employees and members on what to expect in the event of a pandemic. The customizable eight-page report answers frequently asked questions on bird flu, helps people cope with the emotional stress of a disaster, and provides action-oriented information on how to prepare, including:

• A checklist of emergency supplies
• Forms for collecting family health and emergency contact information
• How to reduce your risk of getting sick
• How to tell the difference between seasonal flu and pandemic flu
• Caring for someone at home who has the flu
• How families can help children cope

The report can be customized to include:

• Your organization's name and logo on the cover page masthead
  (Provided by …)
• 150-word article on the front page, which might be used for a message from your CEO or medical director
• 250-word article on the back page, which could be used to detail your organization's policies during a flu outbreak, resources, contacts and numbers employees can turn to for information, and organization-specific plans under way to prepare for the possibility of an outbreak

The Pandemic Flu report provides your employees, members and their families with guidance and tools to better manage an outbreak, and your organization with a key communication vehicle of your business continuity plan.