The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) has released a report assessing the government’s preparations for the resurgence of the H1N1 influenza this fall.
The report describes a “plausible scenario” in which 30 to 50% of Americans are infected, as many as 1.8 million people are admitted to the hospital, 300,000 patients require fill the available intensive care units, and between 30,000 and 90,000 Americans die from the flu.
An interesting point concerns the timing of vaccinations: the report states that the surge in the flu could begin in September and peak in mid-October, but the vaccines may not be available until mid-October.
The report also recommends changes to the decision-making processes so that a single individual is “responsible for coordinating all policy development for the 2009-H1N1 response; identifying the people, agencies, and processes for making key decisions; guaranteeing that all necessary decisions are made in a timely manner; and presenting recommended courses of action to the President.”
The report is online here.
