Hutchins Sonja S, Truman Benedict I, Merlin Toby L, Redd Stephen C
Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, Office of the Chief of Public Health Practice, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Mailstop E-67, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Am J Public Health. 2009 Oct;99 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S243-8. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.164814.
Protecting vulnerable populations from pandemic influenza is a strategic imperative. The US national strategy for pandemic influenza preparedness and response assigns roles to governments, businesses, civic and community-based organizations, individuals, and families. Because influenza is highly contagious, inadequate preparedness or untimely response in vulnerable populations increases the risk of infection for the general population. Recent public health emergencies have reinforced the importance of preparedness and the challenges of effective response among vulnerable populations. We explore definitions and determinants of vulnerable, at-risk, and special populations and highlight approaches for ensuring that pandemic influenza preparedness includes these populations and enables them to respond appropriately. We also provide an overview of population-specific and cross-cutting articles in this theme issue on influenza preparedness for vulnerable populations.
保护弱势群体免受大流行性流感的影响是一项战略要务。美国大流行性流感防范与应对国家战略明确了政府、企业、公民及社区组织、个人和家庭的职责。由于流感具有高度传染性，弱势群体准备不足或应对不及时会增加普通人群的感染风险。近期的突发公共卫生事件凸显了防范的重要性以及弱势群体有效应对面临的挑战。我们探讨了弱势群体、高危人群和特殊人群的定义及决定因素，并着重介绍了确保大流行性流感防范工作涵盖这些人群并使其能够做出适当应对的方法。我们还概述了本专题中关于弱势群体流感防范的针对特定人群和跨领域的文章。
