Posted By holmezy
Morning All,

Dear Dierdre,
My director has just passed me a letter from a "Health Care" Company which says,,,,,(quote Director)
"that we are going to have a pandemic and lots of people will die and that we should buy vaccines for our staff because the government only has enough for 25% of the population and essential services have already nabbed that so there isnt enough to go round so we need to get some now and its only £60 odd quid per person unless we are in France then its ok cuz there government have enough for all the population so ours dont care about us and its on its way from Asia and we can't stop it so it will be here soon but we won't know when and its all to do with chickens and pigs you know so there wont be any of them left either".

Should I be concerned? ( about the letter, not about my director, I already worry about him!!)

Yours Worried from Derby

I don't think he took a breathe while he was speaking to me so apologies for the lack of punctuation!!

The letter is edging its way towards the round file! Anyone else had anything similar through the post lately?


I think I have a sore throat and headache coming on, what could that be then?



Holmezy

Posted By crispin aspinall
The company will be selling anti-viral medication, not vaccines. It will probably be Tamiflu.

The reason the government has stockpiled sufficient for 25 percent of the population is because one of its planning assumptions is that only 25 percent of the populations will get flu and will need it.

Is it possible that this Health Care company has got large stocks of anti-virals with a "use-by" date and it needs to shift them soon?

Posted By J Thomas
holmezy,
Try the HPA website FAQ, particularly this page:

http://www.hpa.org.uk/in...avianflufaq_vaccines.htm

Posted By Descarte
yes it involves an operation and a rather lengthy process ultimately ending in name change by deed poll and a new wardrobe

Posted By Mike Draper
Descarte, "length" wasn't an adjective that I would have used in this context - time consuming, maybe, but not "length"

Posted By Glen Coe
Pandemic planning is a reality, and pandemics return on a 30ish year cycle and we are due another, so I am told. I have had to develop business continuity plans for this. It is generally accepted that bird flu (H5N1)is currently the most likely to mutate and infect humans, based upon previous pandemics the death rate is significant.

Recent Pandemics Death Tolls
1918-1919
U.S.... 675,000+
Worldwide... 50,000,000+
1957-1958
U.S.... 70,000+
Worldwide... 1-2,000,000
1968-1969
U.S.... 34,000+
Worldwide... 700,000+

In all likelihood with modern transport the next pandemic will be the fastest spread ever.

People are offering inoculations, and they may help with resistance but they will not be specific to the mutation and will not guarantee protection. So to answer your question I would bin it. BUT....

It is worth developing business continuity planning, and pandemic should be one cause for implimentation, but consider the absence of at least 50% of personnel for at least 3 weeks and consider loss of 25% of personnel.

Do a web search and you learn a lot. but typically the Gov with start to shut down the country for public gatherings, eg no schools, no football matches, no concerts etc. so parents will have to stay at home to look after kids etc. People would become reluctant to leave home as they would want to avoid contact with others etc. Essential supplies will become an issue as everyone stays at home.

Its all a bit doom and gloom if you read everything, but San Francisco has been waiting for a big earth quake for decades...but if you are really worried I was told to join the red cross as they are most likly to distribute relief aide!