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Volume 14, Number 5—May 2008
Policy Review

Public Response to Community Mitigation Measures for Pandemic Influenza

Robert J. Blendon*Comments to Author , Lisa M. Koonin†, John M. Benson*, Martin S. Cetron†, William E. Pollard†, Elizabeth W. Mitchell†, Kathleen J. Weldon*, and Melissa J. Herrmann‡
Author affiliations: *Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; †Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; ‡International Communications Research, Media, Pennsylvania, USA;

Main Article

Table 6

Responses to questions about potential problems adhering to public health recommendations by health, chronic illness, and disability status*

Question Total 
(n = 1,697) Health status
Fair/poor 
(n = 196) Excellent/very good/good 
(n = 1,481) Chronic illness
Disabled
Yes 
(n = 355) No 
(n = 1,317) Yes 
(n = 323) No
(n = 1,354)
If public health officials recommended, would not be able to take care of sick household member for 7–10 d at home 13 25† 11 16 12 21‡ 10
Do not have someone who could care for you at home if you were sick
24
34†
23

32§
22

33‡
22
If asked to stay home 7–10 days, likely that:
You or a member of your 
household might lose pay and 
have money problems 48 55 48 47 49 49 48
You or a member of your 
household might be unable to get 
the health care or prescription 
drugs that you need 43 55† 40 50§ 40 48 41
You or a member of your 
household might lose your job or 
business as a result of having to 
stay home 27 38† 25 24 28 31 26

*From the Harvard School of Public Health, Pandemic Influenza Survey, 2006. Numbers represent percentage of responses to each question.
†Statistically higher proportion than Excellent/very good/good health status.
‡Statistically higher proportion than those who are not disabled.
§Statistically higher proportion than those who do not have a chronic illness.

Main Article

Page created: July 08, 2010
Page updated: July 08, 2010
Page reviewed: July 08, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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