Mitigation strategies for pandemic influenza A: balancing conflicting policy objectives.

ABSTRACT: Mitigation of a severe influenza pandemic can be achieved using a range of interventions to reduce transmission. Interventions can reduce the impact of an outbreak and buy time until vaccines are developed, but they may have high social and economic costs. The non-linear effect on the epidemic dynamics means that suitable strategies crucially depend on the precise aim of the intervention. National pandemic influenza plans rarely contain clear statements of policy objectives or prioritization of potentially conflicting aims, such as minimizing mortality (depending on the severity of a pandemic) or peak prevalence or limiting the socio-economic burden of contact-reducing interventions. We use epidemiological models of influenza A to investigate how contact-reducing interventions and availabi

SUBMITTER: Hollingsworth TD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3037387 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature