From Monday 22 June, Queensland, along with the Commonwealth and all other Australian states and territories, will enter a new phase to manage the outbreak of Human Swine Influenza.
The new phase is called PROTECT.
The PROTECT phase recognises that Human Swine Influenza is not as severe for the general population as originally envisaged. Most people are making a rapid and full recovery. The new phase focuses on protecting those people who are most at risk of developing severe illness from Human Swine Influenza.
Queensland has a comprehensive Whole-of-Government plan in place to respond to Human Swine Influenza cases.
On 13 May 2009 the Premier approved the Queensland Pandemic Influenza Plan 2009.
Australia's pandemic alert level is PROTECT.
The decision to move to the PROTECT phase was made by the Australian Government on the advice of the Australian Chief Medical Officer and the Australian Health Protection Committee, which includes all state and territory governments.
PROTECT is considered a measured and proportionate health response to the risk that Human Swine Influenza poses to the Australian community.
Key elements of the PROTECT phase are:
For more information visit the Department of Health and Ageing's Health Emergency site
11 June 2009: The WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, announced that the WHO has decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6.
This announcement by the WHO to raise its global pandemic alert recognises the continuing spread of the virus around the world but it also acknowledges that at this time the H1N1 Influenza 09 is a moderate disease.
WHO Phase 6 is characterised by community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region (from the source country). It indicates there is sustained human to human, community level transmission.
For further information visit the World Health Organization (WHO) site.
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