What are the biggest challenges that remain in preparing for a pandemic outbreak?
• A major challenge is to reduce the spread of disease early in the pandemic when the supply of vaccines and antiviral medications is very limited. • Another big challenge is to rapidly increase the capacity of medical and hospital care to serve large numbers of very sick people. • A third challenge is to identify sufficient numbers of doctors, nurses, and other health care workers to provide care during a pandemic. • Alaska must prepare for a number of possible scenarios, depending on the number of ill people, the availability of medical personnel, and the quantities of vaccines and antiviral medicines available. • We may need to rely heavily on changing people’s behaviors to reduce illness and death. It may be necessary to isolate sick people and to separate people who have been exposed to the disease, in order to reduce the spread of the disease. • We may need to close schools or businesses and limit activities such as shopping, travel or other activities where large groups of peopl
