On May 3, President Bush released the third in a series of reports outlining the Federal Government's efforts to prepare for a possible pandemic influenza outbreak. Report 1, National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, was released on November 4, 2005, by the White House's Homeland Security Council (http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/pandemic-influenza.html). Report 2, HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan, is the specific response plan of the Department of Health and Human Services (http://www.hhs.gov/pandemicflu/plan/). The third report, National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza: Implementation Plan (http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/pandemic-influenza-implementation.html), was developed by the White House Homeland Security Council and serves as the implementation plan for the first report. The first report identified 3 pillars: (1) preparedness and communication, (2) surveillance and detection, and (3) response and containment. This implementation report focuses its specific recommendations for action within these 3 pillars. The report broadly examines all major Federal Government functions and articulates specific strategic actions and timeframes for response.

Of particular interest to nursing are the references to the priority use of vaccines (prepandemic and pandemic) and antiviral medications. There is also reference to the fact that healthcare providers and first responders should be a high priority. However, this document does not actually say that they should have first priority in receipt of, in particular, vaccines. The American Nurses Association will be seeking to engage the Federal Government in this discussion.

In addition, the document does not specifically address what was stated in the Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Influenza Plan with regard to the requirement for N95 respirators for registered nurses and other healthcare workers. Current Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control doctrine is that during an outbreak of known or suspected avian influenza, the N95 is the appropriate level of protection. During a pandemic influenza outbreak with an unknown virus, surgical masks are recommended with the use of an N95 during procedures when the virus could be aerosolized. The American Nurses Association continues to push hard on this issue through governmental affairs and in coalition with other union partners to raise the level of protection to N95 respirators during a general pandemic influenza outbreak.

If you are interested in receiving a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the report or have any questions, please contact Cheryl Peterson at [email protected] or 301-628-5089.