A flu pandemic is a global outbreak of a new flu A virus. Flu pandemics happen when a new (novel) flu A virus emerges that is able to infect people easily and spread from person to person in an efficient and sustained way, and to which most of the world’s population do not have immunity. The last flu pandemic occurred in 2009 when a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus emerged. CDC influenza programs protect [1.1 MB, 2 pages, 508]the United States from seasonal flu and potential flu pandemics.
Planning & Preparedness Resources
1918 Pandemic Flu Commemoration
100 years later, read about the 1918 flu pandemic and the advancements in flu prevention and control efforts since then.
Find tools to help hospital administrators and state and local health officials prepare for the next influenza pandemic.
