Fwd: HHS RELEASE--CHECKLIST TO HELP BUSINESSES PREPARE FOR A PANDEMIC

December 8, 2005

Hi All-

With all the hullabaloo about the coming bird flu pandemic, I thought this

relevant.

" Henneghan, Martha (HHS/OS) " <MARTHA.HENNEGHAN wrote:

Wed, 7 Dec 2005 18:07:23 -0500

" Henneghan, Martha (HHS/OS) " <MARTHA.HENNEGHAN

HHS RELEASE--CHECKLIST TO HELP BUSINESSES PREPARE FOR A PANDEMIC

HHSPRESS

December 7, 2005

For Release: Immediately

Contact: HHS Press Office

(202) 690-6343

Headline: 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.

" In the event of a pandemic, 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, " Secretary Leavitt said. " 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 .

###

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are

available at .

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December 8, 2005