Pandemic (influenza)

In relation to the global effort to improve influenza pandemic preparedness, the generic

term “pandemic” has been interpreted specifically in relation to influenza and most

often refers to:

1. Phases 5-6 (Pandemic) of the phases of pandemic alert, published in the 2009

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response: a WHO guidance document (1)

2. Pandemic phase, as defined in Pandemic Influenza Risk Management WHO

Interim Guidance, 2013 replacing the 2009 Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and

Response: a WHO guidance document, see below, (2)

As the Interim Guidance from 2013 replaces the 2009 Pandemic Influenza

Preparedness and Response Guidance, we provide an excerpt from the Interim

Guidance, clarifying the context and purpose of the term “pandemic phase”:

“The phases, which are based on virological, epidemiological and clinical data, are to

be used for describing the spread of a new influenza subtype, taking account of the

disease it causes, around the world. The global phases have been clearly uncoupled

from risk management decisions and actions at the country level. Thus, Member

States are encouraged as far as possible to use national risk assessments to inform

management decisions for the benefit of their country’s specific situation and needs

The global phases – interpandemic, alert, pandemic and transition – describe the

spread of the new influenza subtype, taking account of the disease it causes, around

the world. As pandemic viruses emerge, countries and regions face different risks at

different times. For that reason, countries are strongly advised to develop their own

national risk assessments based on local circumstances, taking into consideration the

information provided by the global assessments produced by WHO. Risk management

decisions by countries are therefore expected to be informed by global risk

assessments, but based on local risk assessments.

[…]

One of the underlying principles of this guidance is to acknowledge that emergency

risk management at country level needs to be sufficiently flexible to accommodate

different consequences within individual countries, for example, different severities and

different numbers of waves of illness. The global phases will be used by WHO to

communicate the global situation. They will be incorporated into IHR (2005) related

communications to National IHR Focal Points, in Disease Outbreak News releases and

various other public and media interactions, including through social media channels[…]

National actions:

The nature and scale of national actions at any point in time will be in line with the

current national risk assessments, taking into consideration the global risk assessment.

The uncoupling of national actions from global phases is necessary since the global

risk assessment, by definition, will not represent the situation in individual Member

States.[…]