Review of guidance for pandemic influenza

ntense international interest following serious human infections with avian influenza and the possibility of the virus becoming a pandemic strain has resulted in a huge range of literature on the subject. There is a confusing mixture of evidence-based information and expert, sometimes conflicting, opinion. The following is an attempt to distill essential points and highlight where advice differs. Guidance is frequently revised; as the Health Protection Agency points out this is `an ongoing activity' (HPA, 2006b). There is a clear need to simply the numerous publications into a few readable documents to assist busy professionals who do not have time to search the multitude of publications currently available.