What is Pandemic Flu ?
An influenza (flu) pandemic is a global outbreak of disease that occurs when a new flu virus appears that can spread easily from person to person. Because people have not been exposed to this new virus before, they have little or no immunity to the virus; therefore serious illness or death is more likely to result than during seasonal flu.
It is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be. In addition, a pandemic may come and go in waves, each of which can last months at a time. The effects of a pandemic can be lessened if preparations are made ahead of time.
The illness rates for both seasonal and pandemic influenza are high among children, and schools are likely to be an important contributor to the spread of influenza in a community.
Scientific models support school closure as an effective means of reducing overall illness rates within communities and suggest that the value of this intervention is greatest if school closure occurs early in the course of a community outbreak.
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