Media Advisory

CDC Press Briefing: Pandemic Flu Preparedness

Who:

Secretary Mike Leavitt, Department of Health and Human Services (via satellite)
Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director, CDC
Dr. Marty Cetron, Director, CDC Division of Global Migration and Quarantine
Dr. Paul E. Jarris, Executive Director, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)

What:

Release of two new initiatives to advance the nation's pandemic influenza preparedness efforts: 1) new PSAs designed to encourage people to learn more about pandemic flu and 2) New CDC guidelines for implementing public health measures and actions in response to a pandemic (i.e. non-pharmaceutical actions such as dismissing students from school, voluntary isolate of ill people, and social distancing measures like teleworking).

Why:

The impact of pandemic influenza extends well beyond health and medical communities into many segments of society. Developing a pandemic influenza vaccine could take several months, and this guidance describes strategies that may lessen the impact of pandemic influenza through the use of public health measures that don't involve vaccines or medications (also called non-pharmaceutical interventions).

For the first time, the new CDC guidelines illustrate how public health recommendations should or may vary depending on the projected severity of a pandemic.

When:

Thursday, February 1, 2007, 2 PM, ET
Brief remarks followed by Q&A

Where:

CDC
1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta
Building 19, enter via CDC Parkway

Parking is available in the Building 19 parking deck located on CDC Parkway. Media should arrive at the CDC by 1:30 p.m. Media must present photo ID for access.

Media who cannot attend in person can listen and ask questions by toll-free conference line. The briefing will begin promptly; media should dial in a few minutes before the start of the conference.

• Dial-in: 1-888-795-0855
• Passcode: CDC Media

Broadcast Access

Call Tony Masciantonio at Crawford Communications at 678-421-6604 to make arrangements for broadcast feed.

LISTEN-ONLY AUDIO WEBCAST

This briefing will also be audio webcast.

Listen to the Briefing: http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=37729

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Community Mitigation Guidance Document
  PDF Document
• Community Mitigation Graphics
  Power Point Version | PDF Version (4pp, Jan 1, 2007)
• HHS Pandemic Mitigation Page on Pandemicflu.gov

The guidance document, graphics and a full transcript of this teleconference will be available following the briefing on the CDC web site at www.cdc.gov/media.

###
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES