Community Mitigation Guidelines to Prevent Pandemic Influenza - United States, 2017

On April 20, 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated pre-pandemic planning guidelines entitled Community Mitigation Guidelines to Prevent Pandemic Influenza – United States, 2017. The updated guidelines replace the 2007 guidance, which laid the foundation for the use of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in mitigating pandemic influenza (flu). NPIs, also known as community mitigation strategies, are actions that people and communities can take, apart from getting vaccinated and taking medications, to help slow the spread of respiratory illnesses. NPIs are important because they are our first line of defense during a flu pandemic before a vaccine is available.

The updated guidelines:

• Encourage state and local public health officials to plan and prepare for implementing NPIs early in a pandemic in community settings.
• Summarize key lessons learned from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic response, describe new or updated pandemic planning and assessment tools, and provide the latest scientific findings on the use of NPIs.
• Include supplemental guides for six different community audiences that provide straightforward guidance about the use of NPIs and pandemic flu resources.

Public health officials, individuals, and communities should do their part by preparing now and understanding how to use NPIs before a flu pandemic occurs to help keep everyone healthy and safe. Visit www.cdc.gov/npi for more information about NPIs and the 2017 Community Mitigation Guidelines.