If an influenza pandemic appears, we could expect the following:

• Given the high level of global traffic, the pandemic virus may spread rapidly, leaving little or no time to prepare.
• Medical facilities will be overwhelmed.
• Widespread illness may result in sudden and potentially significant shortages of personnel to provide essential community services.
• The effect of influenza on individual communities will be relatively prolonged when compared to other natural disasters, as it is expected that outbreaks will reoccur.
• Vaccines, antiviral agents and antibiotics to treat secondary infections will be in short supply and will be unequally distributed. It will take several months before any vaccine becomes available.