Preparing for the Real Storm during the Calm: A Comparison of the Crisis Preparation Strategies for Pandemic Influenza in China and the U.S.

• Published in: Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• Main Author: Peng Zongchao
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Avian flu
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2202/1547-7355.1436

Humanity is facing the rapid spread of avian flu and the potential severe threat of a future global pandemic flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the governments of various countries and regions have proposed plans for managing a pandemic flu. China and the U.S. also issued their own preparation plans in September and November, 2005, respectively. This article asks whether there are vulnerabilities or shortcomings inherent in either preparation plan, and if so, what measures should be taken to improve them. The article first provides a theoretical analysis of the issues of crisis preparation, chiefly from the perspective of a real crisis. Second, it does some crisis analysis of a pandemic flu and proposes preliminary preparation strategies to deal with it. More importantly, it compares the United States and China concerning their crisis preparation strategies, including the process of forming strategies, cognition of risks, choices of goals, basic principles, framework, and implementation. Finally, it concludes by making some suggestions for crisis policy formulation regarding a pandemic flu. crisis, crisis management, crisis preparation, pandemic influenza, strategic policy-making