Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081206TDY03001.htm
Prefectural antiflu steps to be disclosed on Internet
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A ruling parties working group looking into measures to be taken against new strains of flu has decided to disclose via the Internet the preparations made by each prefecture for a large-scale outbreak of such viruses, sources said.
The move is aimed at increasing the overall level of antiflu measures planned by local governments, according to the sources.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will disclose the extent to which each prefecture has created a package of countermeasures, which are expected to include specified principles for minimizing the spread of an epidemic, guidelines on action to be taken and data on drills that have been conducted based on a flu outbreak scenario.
The central government has worked out its own plan and guidelines, and has asked individual prefectures to draw up their own versions of the plan to better suit local conditions, and to stock antiflu drugs and vaccines in case of emergencies.
However, huge discrepancies exist among prefectural governments in terms of their preparedness for a possible epidemic of a new flu strain. Some local governments are reported to have simply copied the central government's plans without tailoring their own guidelines.
The panel decided to disclose the preparedness of each prefecture against a flu outbreak out of concern there might be a great disparity in the level of medical care depending on the region, the sources said.
(Dec. 6, 2008)
Prefectural antiflu steps to be disclosed on Internet
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A ruling parties working group looking into measures to be taken against new strains of flu has decided to disclose via the Internet the preparations made by each prefecture for a large-scale outbreak of such viruses, sources said.
The move is aimed at increasing the overall level of antiflu measures planned by local governments, according to the sources.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will disclose the extent to which each prefecture has created a package of countermeasures, which are expected to include specified principles for minimizing the spread of an epidemic, guidelines on action to be taken and data on drills that have been conducted based on a flu outbreak scenario.
The central government has worked out its own plan and guidelines, and has asked individual prefectures to draw up their own versions of the plan to better suit local conditions, and to stock antiflu drugs and vaccines in case of emergencies.
However, huge discrepancies exist among prefectural governments in terms of their preparedness for a possible epidemic of a new flu strain. Some local governments are reported to have simply copied the central government's plans without tailoring their own guidelines.
The panel decided to disclose the preparedness of each prefecture against a flu outbreak out of concern there might be a great disparity in the level of medical care depending on the region, the sources said.
(Dec. 6, 2008)