Non-pharmaceutical Interventions
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 being stockpiled. (10,11)
Non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as the use of face masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing are becoming the most attractive way to mitigate the impact of a disastrous pandemic. Making policy decisions is going to be a challenge, given the lack of substantive scientific information on the effectiveness of these interventions. (12)
As global citizens, we all have a responsibility to protect and
maintain public health. Participants in the M-FLU Study are responding
to the call for responsible global citizenship by contributing to research that
may ultimately help guide the development of national policies for pandemic preparedness.
M-FLU Study participants work to make the US and the
world a safer, healthier place for us all.