Cost effectiveness of preemptive school closures to mitigate pandemic influenza outbreaks of differing severity in the United States.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) may be considered as part of national pandemic preparedness as a first line defense against influenza pandemics. Preemptive school closures (PSCs) are an NPI reserved for severe pandemics and are highly effective in slowing influenza spread but have unintended consequences.

Methods

We used results of simulated PSC impacts for a 1957-like pandemic (i.e., an influenza pandemic with a high case fatality rate) to estimate population health impacts and quantify PSC costs at the national level using three geographical scales, four closure durations, and three dismissal decision criteria (i.e., the number of cases detected to trigger closures). At the Chicago regional level, we also used results from simulated 1957-like, 1968-like,

SUBMITTER: Dauelsberg LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10792817 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature