UK government winds down pandemic ‘flu response but warns against complacency

Ian Dalton, National Director for NHS Flu Resilience, has written to chief executives of Primary Care Trusts in England to update them on the next steps in the response to the H1N1 (Swine Influenza) pandemic. The letter highlights the controlled wind-down of current pandemic response measures but strongly warns against complacency.

The letter states that it “is now clear that mortality from H1N1 (2009) influenza overall has been lower than in previous pandemics and in some ‘flu seasons. However, the disease has disproportionately affected young people, and this is where most complications have occurred, particularly in those with pre-existing chronic illness.”

The National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS) will be closed from 1am Thursday 11 February 2010, but can be reinstated in the future within seven days of the decision to re-open it.

In the letter Mr. Dalton warns: “It is extremely important that we do not allow the current low levels of influenza like illness and the stand down of the NPFS to lead to a sense of complacency. There is still considerable uncertainty about how the virus will behave over the coming months and years. Experts advise us that it likely that pandemic H1N1 (2009) will be the predominant ‘flu virus in the 2010 influenza season. The 2010 season may come earlier than usual and there may be outbreaks sparked by returning travellers from countries affected by the Southern Hemisphere ‘flu season which starts quite soon. There is also a risk that the genetic composition of the pandemic H1N1 (2009) will “drift” during its passage through the world and return to the United Kingdom to a cause a more severe illness."

Read the full letter (PDF)

•Date: 2nd Feb 2010 • Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning UK
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