| Seasonal Flu |
Pandemic Flu |
| Outbreaks follow predictable seasonal patterns; occurs
annually, usually in winter, in temperate climates |
Occurs rarely (three times in 20th century – most recently in
1968) |
| Usually some immunity built up from previous exposure |
No previous exposure; little or no pre-existing immunity |
| Healthy adults usually not at risk for serious complications;
the very young, the elderly and those with certain health conditions
at increased risk for serious complications |
Healthy people may be at increased risk for serious complications |
| Health care agencies and providers can usually meet public
and patient needs |
Health care agencies and providers may be overwhelmed |
| Vaccine developed based on known flu strains and available
for annual flu season |
Vaccine probably would not be available in the early stages of a pandemic |
| Adequate supplies of antivirals are usually available |
Effective antivirals may be in limited supply |
| Average U.S. deaths approximately 36,000/yr |
Number of deaths could be quite high (For example, U.S. 1918 death
toll approximately 675,000) |
| Symptoms: fever, cough, runny nose, muscle pain. Deaths
often caused by complications, such as pneumonia |
Symptoms may be more severe and complications more frequent |
| Generally causes modest impact on society (e.g., some
school closings, encouragement of people who are sick to stay home) |
May cause major impact on society (Examples could include: widespread
restrictions on travel, closings of schools and businesses, cancellation
of large public gatherings) |
| Manageable impact on domestic and world economies |
Potential for severe impact on domestic and world economies |
