The RUSI Critical National Infrastructure this week prompted an interesting discussion about the extent to which we should be planning for a flu pandemic.Expressing surprise that the issue appeared to be so far down the UK government’s agenda, the head of the German critical infrastructure protection was unequivocal in his warning. A pandemic is a likely scenario in the future and his government has already carried out nationwide exercises to test continuity plans.
It is difficult to estimate in a future pandemic the percentage of the population that could be come infected, but two points are important to note. First, once infected, the mortality rate is over 50%. Second, if human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 does threaten to develop into a pandemic, governments may take drastic steps to limit its spread, fueled by the inevitable media frenzy.
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