KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, the King County Board of Health passed a resolution on pandemic influenza preparedness, calling on Public Health - Seattle & King County along with partner agencies to continue pandemic influenza planning and the development of response capacity.

“A flu pandemic could have an enormous human, social and economic cost, but with county-wide planning and coordination we can diminish the potential loss,” said King County Board of Health Chair and Councilmember Carolyn Edmonds.

The resolution directs Public Health - Seattle & King County to coordinate and facilitate pandemic influenza planning in accordance with federal guidelines. In addition, the resolution calls on King County hospitals and other healthcare organizations, municipal governments, social service agencies, businesses, and related professional organizations to engage in pandemic influenza response planning in collaboration with the department.

Pandemic flu refers to a world-wide epidemic involving the spread of a flu virus to which few if any human beings have previously been exposed. Because of this, a pandemic flu has the potential to cause increased levels of serious illness and death in a very short period of time.

In recent months, Public Health – Seattle & King County has stepped up its work with local partners to prepare for pandemic influenza. Areas of work and preparations include surveillance, vaccine delivery, emergency medical and health care response, maintenance of other essential services, communications technology and systems, and risk communications.

Visit the King County Board of Health web pages for information about the Board. Go to www.metrokc.gov/health/boh

The King County Board of Health sets county-wide public health policy, enacts and enforces local public health regulations, and carries out other duties of local boards of health specified in state law. These duties include enforcing state public health.

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