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61 <br /> <br /> <br />Severe influenza versus pandemic influenza: <br />Pandemic Flu Seasonal Flu <br />Rarely happens (three times in 20th <br />century) <br />Happens annually and usually peaks in January or <br />February <br />People have little or no immunity because <br />they have no previous exposure to the <br />virus <br />Usually, some immunity built up from previous <br />exposure <br />Healthy people may be at increased risk <br />for serious complications <br />Usually, only people at high risk, not healthy <br />adults, are at risk of serious complications <br />Health care providers and hospitals may be <br />overwhelmed <br />Health care providers and hospitals can usually <br />meet public and patient needs <br />Vaccine probably would not be available <br />in the early stages of a pandemic <br />Vaccine available for annual flu season <br />Effective antivirals may be in limited <br />supply <br />Adequate supplies of antivirals are usually <br />available <br />Number of deaths could be high (The U.S. <br />death toll during the 1918 pandemic was <br />approximately 675,000) <br />Seasonal flu-associated deaths in the United States <br />over 30 years ending in 2007 have ranged from <br />about 3,000 per season to about 49,000 per season. <br />Symptoms may be more severe Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and <br />muscle pain <br />May cause major impact on the general <br />public, such as widespread travel <br />restrictions and school or business closings <br />Usually causes minor impact on the general public, <br />some schools may close and sick people are <br />encouraged to stay home <br />Potential for severe impact on domestic <br />and world economy <br />Manageable impact on domestic and world <br />economy <br /> <br /> <br />