Photo of Secretary Leavitt at Pandemic Flu Convening of the States

13 December 2005

Business Must Brace for Pandemic, U.S. Health Agency Says, December 7, 2005

(Government issues checklist, urges businesses to prepare for possible outbreak)

The U.S. business community would be affected severely if pandemic influenza strikes the country, so the Department of Health and Human Services has issued guidance on how businesses should prepare.

"In the event of a pandemic,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt with release of the December 7 checklist, “planning by business leaders will be critical to protecting employees' health, limiting the negative economic impact and ensuring the continued delivery of essential services like food, medicine and power."

The Department of Health and Human Services, along with the departments of Homeland Security and Commerce, are urging businesses to consider how they might be affected by pandemic, how they could forecast employee absence, and how they could establish flexible work sites to minimize the risk of exposure to disease transmission.  The “Business Pandemic Influenza Checklist,” produced by the Health and Human Services Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, identifies specific activities that companies can do to prepare for a pandemic.

The checklist is available on the department’s Web site.

The advisories for business follow guidelines previously issued to state and local health departments on pandemic planning steps they should implement.  A department press release says further guidelines for families, schools and faith-based organizations will be issued.

The guidelines are available at www.pandemicflu.gov, the official U.S. government Web site on pandemic flu and avian influenza, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services.

For ongoing coverage of pandemic influenza and related issues, see Bird Flu.

The text of the press release follows:
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HHS Press Office

HHS RELEASES CHECKLIST TO HELP BUSINESSES PREPARE FOR A PANDEMIC

To help businesses develop specific plans to protect employees and maintain operations during a pandemic, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, joined by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, released a "Business Pandemic Influenza Checklist" today.  The checklist was presented at a Business Roundtable meeting with chief executive officers of leading companies in Washington, DC.

"I look forward to involving businesses of all sizes in pandemic planning and integrating their plans into state and federal efforts."

The new checklist identifies specific activities that companies can do now to prepare for a pandemic and will also be helpful in other types of emergencies.  Developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the checklist suggests companies plan how they would forecast employee absences during a pandemic; disseminate information to employees; establish flexible work sites; and establish policies for employees who have been exposed, are suspected to be ill or become ill at the worksite.  Activities are broken into broader categories for action, including:

Plan for the impact of a pandemic on a business;

Plan for the impact of a pandemic on employees and customers;

Establishment of policies to be implemented during a pandemic;

Allocation of resources to protect employees and customers during a pandemic;

Communication and education to employees; and

Coordination with external organizations and communities.

Today's release of the business checklist is one part of overall Administration planning to increase pandemic preparedness.  In order to safeguard against the threat of a pandemic and mitigate the effects should one occur, President Bush outlined a coordinated government strategy that includes the establishment of a new International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, stockpiling of vaccines and antiviral medications, expansion of early-warning systems domestically and abroad and new initiatives for local and state level preparedness.

Earlier this week, Secretary Leavitt met with senior officials from all 50 states to begin preparing for a series of in-state pandemic-planning summits to be held in every state over the next several months.  He also issued a "State and Local Health Department Planning Checklist for Public Health Roles and Responsibilities."  It summarizes key planning activities to be undertaken by the public health system of each state in collaboration with partners.  Additional checklists to help families, schools, the travel industry and faith-based and community organizations increase their preparedness will be issued in coming weeks. 

A copy of the business checklist and other pandemic planning information is

available online at www.pandemicflu.gov.

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