Influenza Crisis Communication

In two years between 1918 and 1919, A pandemic of influenza swept mercilessly over the planet, killing millions which stood in its path. Miraculously, the exact origin of the pandemic is unclear. What is exceedingly clear, however, is that often the actions of man aided in the spread of the virus, whether due to inadvertent endangerment, close quarters, religious principles, or failure to recognize the true threat that influenza posed.

Throughout the history, influenza viruses have caused several pandemics or global epidemics, killing many people. For example, the influenza strike in 1918 to 1919 infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide, which is one-third of the planet’s population at the time and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million people. More than 25 percentage of the U.S. population were affected, and caused 675,000 deaths in U.S during the pandemic.(History, 2015). There were no effective treatments for this type of influenza and no available vaccines can prevent its spread during the period. (History, 2015) U.S government required general population to wear masks and other protective equipments in public areas, and many public places also closed due to the influenza strike. Health care providers tried everything they knew to save people, but none shows any evidence of effects. (National Center for Biotechnology Information [NCBI], 2015). Scientists found out that the influenza virus had invaded their lungs and caused pneumonia, which made so many people died from the pandemic (History,2015). Another influenza strike happened

Within the communications group for Blue Care Network, how the crisis is managed depends on the actual situation. A crisis is defined as, “a major occurrence with a potentially negative outcome effective an organization, company, or industry as well as its publics, products, services, or good name” (du Pre, 2014). While the management of the crisis may depend on the situation, the purpose of crisis communication is to, “provide information that allows an individual, stakeholders, or an entire community to make the best possible decisions about their well-being, under nearly impossible time constraints, while accepting the imperfect nature of their choices” (du Pre, 2014). Recently, there was a recall on several different types of EpiPens, which is used for allergic reaction treatment (Horne, 2017). Although this was only one recall, it still needed to be urgently and effectively communicated to the masses. This was a highly important issue because someone’s death could result from this (Horne, 2017). In this situation, the challenge was to make sure that people were notified right away. To inform members, letters and emails were sent out to notify them of the lots (lot number on the EpiPen) that had been recalled (Horne, 2017). In addition to informing them, there were also instructions for what to do, specifically if a member had an EpiPen with the recalled lot number (Horne, 2017). On top of letters and emails, Blue Care Network utilized their online portal to send messages to their member’s accounts as well as making a public announcement through press releases (Horne, 2017). With reaching a mass audience, especially during a crisis situation, it is crucial to make sure the information is correctly understood and interpreted by the

Advertising is a complicated form of marketing, it’s almost like an art form. One must be acutely aware of their audience and what captures their attention, otherwise the advertisement will fall flat. There is a myriad of different ways to lure consumers into buying a product; for example, the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) managed through a series of advertisements to convince individuals of the importance in getting a vaccination for the influenza virus. It was applied using multiple techniques, namely the methods of universal appeal and association. These techniques helped the CDC to effectively promotes the flu vaccine and get their message across to a wide range of people.

Martha Quezada Kimmons AP World History March 05, 2018 The Influenza (DBQ) In 1918 a new and unknown virus emerged causing the Influenza pandemic to spread worldwide. It diffused from Asia to the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. The pandemic lasted until 1919 but its effects were very shocking to the population as it was so deadly it killed more than 50 million people and infected about 20% to 40% of the population.

John M. Barry has written award winning books including the Influenza pandemic of 1918, and the great Mississippi flood. Being invited by 2 presidential administrations, Bush and Obama, to advise on preparedness for pandemics and pandemic response. Having also advised on state, federal, UN and world health organizations on influenza, water disasters, risk communication and crisis management Barry is more than qualified to talk about such a topic considering his past of assisting the world with disaster prevention and response.

Today our community is presented with a problem that will require communication between several internal and external avenues to help resolve the water contamination in the Eugene-Springfield area. I am Shellie Cobbs, Director of the Regional Emergency Management Office, and I will be addressing the media on the procedures to be used in running the crisis communication efforts in response to the contaminated water. A water contamination event poses a unique opportunity to work with diverse populations to effectively convey important health messages ("Contamination," 2008, p. 1).

The book The Great Influenza by John Barry takes us back to arguably one of the greatest medical disasters in human history, the book focuses on the influenza pandemic which took place in the year 1918. The world was at war in the First World War and with everyone preoccupied with happenings in Europe and winning the war, the influenza pandemic struck when the human race was least ready and most distracted by happenings all over the world. In total the influenza pandemic killed over a hundred million people on a global scale, clearly more than most of the deadliest diseases in modern times. John Barry leaves little to imagination in his book as he gives a vivid description of the influenza pandemic of 1918 and exactly how this pandemic affected the human race. The book clearly outlines the human activities that more or less handed the human race to the influenza on a silver platter. “There was a war on, a war we had to win” (Barry, p.337). An element of focus in the book is the political happenings back at the time not only in the United States of America but also all over the world and how politicians playing politics set the way for perhaps the greatest pandemic in human history to massacre millions of people. The book also takes an evaluator look at the available medical installations and technological proficiencies and how the influenza pandemic has affected medicine all over the world.

The CDC influenza awareness campaign is exactly that, informing people about the influenza flu vaccination is and has always been a big if not the main part of that campaign.Each year, the CDC sponsors a national awareness campaign to educate the local people.The CDC’s mandate is to inform humans with poor immune systems about the importance of vaccination and provide them with helpful information on how and where to get a vaccination. The CDC takes out ads across all platforms including radio, television, magazines, and billboards even peoples own experience with the vaccination.

In recent years, there has been a surge of parents who refuse to vaccinate themselves and their children. However, this can be incredibly dangerous and lethal if this new age trend continues to spread. Vaccines are a weakened version of the stronger disease, and should be mandatory for all ages including infants, young children, and young adults.

In reviewing the Institute of Medicine crisis standards of care report, “the committee concludes that there is an urgent and clear need for a single national set of guidance protocols for use during generalized crisis events”. Six recommendations were thought to be the basis of the standards developed.

"The 1918 has gone: a year momentous as the termination of the most cruel war in the annals of the human race; a year which marked, the end at least for a time, of man's destruction of man; unfortunately a year in which developed a most fatal infectious disease causing the death of hundreds of thousands of human beings. Medical science for four and one-half years devoted itself to putting men on the firing line and keeping them there. Now it must turn with its whole might to combating the greatest enemy of all--infectious disease (Billings, 2005)." The influenza in 1919 was much bigger than a cold. In the two years that this disease swept the world one fifth of the population was infected. The flu was most deadly for people ages 20 to 40. This pattern of death was unusual for influenza which usually killed the elderly and young children. It infected 28% of all Americans. An estimated 675,000 Americans died of influenza during this pandemic, about ten times as many as in World War 1. Of the U.S. soldiers who died in Europe, half of them were killed by the influenza virus and not to the enemy. An estimated 43,000 soldiers who were sent for WWI died of influenza. The worldwide influenza epidemic adversely affected the U.S., both in the states and the soldiers at war. Subsequently, in the lack of medicine, lack of skilled doctors, and the lack of soldier preparation.

A lot of critical factors drive an influenza pandemic stockpiling. The costs for having influenza pandemic stockpile of drugs is relatively lesser when equated with the amount of chaos and disaster it will be created to humankind worldwide.

The response to any emergency is considered to be very critical and therefore should be as efficient as possible. In the healthcare sector, responses to situations are counted by the seconds. From natural disasters to epidemics, the only chance left to respond to any of this occurrence could only be counted in seconds. That means life is either saved or lost in a matter of seconds. Putting in place certain responses to these unexpected occurrences, such as crises management communication plan, help save lives and arrest crises from aggravating. Failure to have crises management communication plan is considered by many commentators to be a crisis in itself. Accepted medical care is highly dependent on effective communication between healthcare providers and the patients; among healthcare providers and the outside world. The characteristics of crises make it necessary for prior planning and effective communication among stakeholders in the health sector (Klaene and Sanders, 2006; Ronen, 2006).

Over the past few decades, the significance, magnitude and consequence of risk management and communication have been brought before the world over and over again in a number of situations related to health, terrorist activities, natural disasters etc. When one turns the pages of history, it is rather obvious that lack of planning and absence of resources due to unpreparedness makes it difficult for the concerned authorities to manage an emergency or epidemic a problematic and traumatic task. The chaotic situations can turn out to be more nerve-racking and tense when preparations are not made before hand (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2002).