Stockpiling Solutions: North Carolina's Ethical Guidelines for an Influenza Pandemic (April 2007)
In 2006, the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health awarded
funding to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine to examine the issues the state
may face during an influenza pandemic and to consider the rights and responsibilities
of private oragnizations and individuals. The Division of Public Health had already developed
a pandemic influenza response plan. The response plan focuses on the emergency response functions and necessary partnerships
to mount an effective response, but it does not directly address the ethical issues that will arise in the event
of a flu pandemic. The Task Force explored several ethical issues including, but not limited to, the responsibilities of and to healthcare workers
and other critical workers, the balance between the rights of individuals and protection of the public, and the prioritization and utilization of
limited resources.
Recent human cases of the bird flu have heightened the public's awareness of
the possibility of a flu pandemic in the near future. Many experts warn it is
not a question of if but when the next flu pandemic will arrive. A severe
pandemic influenza would most likely be widespread and last for six to eight weeks
at a time. A pandemic could consist of one wave or multiple waves. During the
height of an influenza pandemic, approximately 40% of workers will be out of the
workforce due to their own illnesses or the need to care for a sick family member.
This prediction is alarming, particularly as it impacts the healthcare industry,
which may be overwhelmed by demands for services to treat the ill. Other critical
industries, such as utilities, food, and transportation, also will require workers to
provide the goods and services needed to maintain the basic functioning of society.
The Task Force was co-chaired by State Health Director Leah Devlin and UNC-Charlotte Ethics Professor
Rosemarie Tong. North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services Carmen Hooker Odom served as the
Honorary Co-chair. The Task Force consisted of 38 members who represented stakeholders such as law
enforcement, public health, healthcare providers, key industries, local and state government, and the
faith community. Other Task Force members included ethicists and individuals representing potentially vulnerable populations.
