ABSTRACT
References .............................................................................................................. 144
The next pandemic, whether the result of a mutation of H5N1 or a different virus altogether, will likely overwhelm our nation’s health and medical capabilities, resulting in millions of hospitalizations and deaths and billions of dollars in direct and indirect costs. The impact will be global in nature — one which requires pre-event collaborative planning, a coordinated response, and a commitment to recovery efforts for the betterment of humankind. The United States’ approach to preparedness has been promulgated by the questions raised in the Department of Homeland Security’s National Preparedness Guidelines (2007) that, if applied to a pandemic, essentially asks
1. How prepared are we for the next pandemic or worldwide outbreak of a new influenza virus?
