Guide to public health measures to reduce the impact of influenza pandemics in Europe – ‘The ECDC Menu’

Application of public health measures (see Summary tables) will, to some extent, reduce the number of people who are infected, need medical care and die during an influenza pandemic. They will probably also reduce the numbers affected by severe epidemics of seasonal influenza. By lowering and perhaps delaying the peak of a pandemic curve the measures could also mitigate the secondary consequences of pandemics that result when many people fall sick at once, i.e. the impact of mass absenteeism on key functions such as delivering healthcare and maintaining food supplies, fuel distribution and utilities, etc. Public health measures may even delay the peak of the epidemic curve of a pandemic until nearer the time a pandemic vaccine starts to become available, thereby possibly also reducing the total numbers affected. In addition, theoretically, they may delay the peak until influenza transmission declines naturally in the summer months. Objectives of applying public health measures during a pandemic with interventions - Delay and flatten epidemic peak - Reduce peak burden on healthcare systems and threat to other essential systems through high levels of absenteeism - Somewhat reduce total number of cases - Buy a little time It is thought by many that combinations of measures will be even more effective than single measures, so called ‘defence in depth’ or ‘layered interventions’ The intention with this document is to present a menu of possible measures, giving public health and scientific information on what is known or can be said about their likely effectiveness, costs (direct and indirect), acceptability, public expectations and other more practical considerations. This is to help European Member States and EU institutions, individually or collectively, decide which measures they will apply..