PREPAREDNESS FOR BUSINESSES AND HOMES
To obtain access to our Manual Contents all you have to do is subscribe! It's free!
*Email addresses are NOT released to any other parties. Please see our privacy statement.
More help? Need a complete solution? Something with all the hard work done for you? Something with customisable templates of procedures, presentations, project timelines and tutorials ... to hand hold you through it all? Then you're looking for our Bird Flu D-I-Y eManual-eBook. It has all of this and much, much more. To learn more about it and get some free stuff click here.
BIRD FLU vs OTHER DISRUPTIONS
Why won't our current BCPs work for a Bird Flu pandemic? First of all, a Bird Flu pandemic will not be like a physical disaster. A
pandemic has unique characteristics when compared with a more "typical"
disaster. For example:
The impact of a pandemic would likely
be widespread, not localised to a single area or region; therefore there may be
little outside assistance. Many business continuity plans (BCPs) assume some
part of an organisation is unaffected and can take up the required capacity.
This is an international issue, not an asia bird flu as many believe. Those with offices spanning the globe with be affected in every location. Do not expect an office in one country to take up the slack of an office in another country. Neither will be able to spare resources except perhaps in the first couple of weeks.
A pandemic is not a physical
disaster. It has some unique characteristics that require implementation of
activities to limit contact such as restriction of movement, quarantine, and
closure of public gatherings.
A pandemic would not be a short,
sharp event leading immediately to commencement of a recovery phase. Many BCPs
assume the event is short/sharp and that recovery can start immediately.
BCPs plan for disruption without warning. It is quite likely that there will be
some advance warning from the development of the pandemic, but it is always
possible that any warning period may be very short. Should pandemic influenza
spread within SE Asia it will probably be some weeks before the full impact on
workforce will be felt, although there may be some early impacts resulting from
closures of schools and similar containment measures.
Unlike natural disasters, where any disruption to business
service provision is likely to be hardware-related, disruption to business
operation in the event of a pandemic is anticipated to be mainly human-resource
oriented. WHO advises that businesses should plan for up to 50% staff absences
during the height of the pandemic, and varying degrees either side.
Planning for a pandemic allows for a number of very specific measures to be put into place. Bird Flu preparedness can be treated as a 'plug-in' to your existing BCP that can also work as a stand-alone plan if you do not currently have a business continuity plan.
To obtain access to our Manual Contents all you have to do is subscribe! It's free!
*Email addresses are NOT released to any other parties. Please see our privacy statement.
More help? Need a complete solution? Something with all the hard work done for you? Something with customisable templates of procedures, presentations, project timelines and tutorials ... to hand hold you through it all? Then you're looking for our Bird Flu D-I-Y eManual-eBook. It has all of this and much, much more. To learn more about it and get some free stuff click here.
See our reader comments on this section, or better still, post your own!
07/03/2008 08:00 PM
Potential New Drug Candidates To Combat 'Bird Flu' Identified By UC San Diego Researchers
As the specter of a worldwide outbreak of avian or "bird flu" lingers, health officials recognize that new drugs are desperately needed since some strains of the virus already have developed resistance to the current roster of anti-flu remedies.
07/02/2008 07:00 PM
Animal Study Identifies New DNA Weapon Against Avian Flu
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a potential new way to vaccinate against avian flu. By delivering vaccine via DNA constructed to build antigens against flu, along with a minute electric pulse, researchers have immunized experimental animals against various strains of the virus. This approach could allow for the build up of vaccine reserves that could be easily and effectively dispensed in case of an epidemic.
07/01/2008 04:00 PM
Sinovac Initiates Phase II Volunteer Enrollment For Split Viron Pandemic Influenza (H5N1) Vaccine
Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (Amex: SVA), a leading provider of vaccines in China, announced the initiation of volunteer enrollment in its Phase II clinical trial for its split pandemic influenza vaccine. The preliminary results from this study are expected to be available in early 2009.
06/26/2008 07:00 PM
ECRI Institute And IAHSS Offer Guidance On Preparing For Pandemic Flu - July 17 Web Conference
Plans for appropriate respiratory protection are a major part of healthcare facilities' pandemic preparation. To assist hospitals with the complex task of protecting frontline staff in the event of an outbreak, ECRI Institute and the International Association for Healthcare Safety and Security (IAHSS) present
06/26/2008 03:00 PM
West Nile Virus Threat Reduced By Diversity Among Bird Populations In Surrounding Area
A more diverse bird population can help lower the incidence of West Nile virus in the surrounding human population, in a process called the "dilution effect," according to an article released in the open access journal PLoS ONE on June 25, 2008. West Nile Virus, usually infecting birds but also affecting humans, is often passed through mosquitoes.
06/19/2008 03:00 PM
Biotech Experts Available To Discuss The Critical Role Of Vaccine Adjuvants In Treating Pandemic Bird Flu
The likelihood of an influenza pandemic caused by an avian influenza (Bird Flu) virus is an increasing concern to the World Health Organization (WHO) and others. Recent breakthroughs on promising cell-based vaccines are encouraging, but manufacturing, stockpiling and distributing enough vaccine to treat victims on a massive scale remain a challenge that needs attention.
Email this page to someone?
Enter recipient email address below:
