What are non-pharmaceutical interventions and why do they matter?
Pharmaceutical interventions include the use of flu vaccine, antiviral medications, and other medications to decrease the effects due to influenza. Vaccination has been the principal public health method of preventing and controlling seasonal influenza. There has been little attention paid to non-pharmaceutical measures which may reduce the likelihood of transmission because such vaccinations and antivirals have been available in sufficient quantity at the appropriate time before and during most influenza seasons. All this has changed with the threat of an influenza pandemic. It is probable that no vaccine would be available during the first 6 months of a pandemic. Moreover, it has not yet been possible to produce a vaccine which can convincingly provide protection. (9) Antivirals would be extremely useful for therapy and perhaps targeted prophylaxis until a successful vaccine could be produced, but here supply will be an issue, especially given the cost of oseltamivir, the main drug b
