Disease Prevention Measures

The World Health Organization (WHO) supported a global flu surveillance network that monitors changes in seasonal flu viruses as well as the emergence of novel flu viruses. CDC used its Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT) with the development of pre-pandemic vaccines against emergent viruses with the greatest potential to cause a severe pandemic and established guidelines for non-pharmaceutical interventions such as school closings and large social gatherings during a pandemic. In 2022, the population is 9.6 billion, and the number of hosts has expanded providing increased opportunities for the novel influenza virus to evolve, spread and infect people.

The best defense against the flu is the flu vaccine, but when it is not well matched to circulating viruses, it can take about 20-26 weeks to select and manufacture a new vaccine. Another concern is the inadequate global capacity for mass-producing flu vaccines. The major part of the solution is recognizing these challenges and working together with the rest of the world to address them.

We find ourselves today dealing with the COVID-19 virus, we have few management and treatment options to save supportive care and isolation measures. Fortunately, we have made great advances in critical care measures such as intensive care, and infectious disease support. Regrettably, our healthcare delivery system does not have enough resources to treat the sheer volume of individuals.

People shall be disciplined in complying with well-established public health recommendations to limit the spread of the disease, including, social distancing, washing our hands, and disinfecting every surface. Dentistry is a profession that is deeply rooted in the prevention of disease and the dental workforce community is committed to this public health mandate. What differentiates one pandemic from the other is what we do to bend the curve during the escalation phase.