Return to Toolbox Main.

Sample of Boston's Sector-Specific Guidance Grid

Keywords / Description:

This one-page matrix provides an example of a sector-specific guidance for response to a flu pandemic in Boston. In this sample, education, child care, and after school providers are advised about different actions to take depending on the severity of the outbreak.

The sector-specific guidance was part of a city-wide integrated response plan that was designed to help coordinate the many elements of the fall/winter flu season. Sector-specific grids provided flu prevention and mitigation guidance. The plan was  organized by severity level to help sector partners modulate their response activities accordingly:

1. Mild--small numbers of cases of H1N1 flu or ILI
2. Moderate--significant numbers of cases or clusters of H1N1 flu or ILI and/or increasing severity of illness
3. Severe--widespread illness in the city

The basic assumption of Boston's plan was that a pandemic response demanded a community response, not just a public health response. Using that assumption, city health officials developed these guidance grids as a framework of response activities for ten community sectors:

• businesses
• childcare, school, and after school programs
• colleges and universities
• community organizations
• faith-based organizations
• government agencies
• healthcare professionals and organizations
  
• parents and caregivers
• residential care organizations
• labor unions

This tool was submitted as part of an H1N1 Story from the Field. The story can be found at this link: http://www.naccho.org/topics/H1N1/h1n1story.cfm?story_id=325

 

Toolkit:

Influenza Toolkit

Keyword Area:

Child, Pandemic Influenza, School

Jurisdiction:

Institutional Author:

Boston Public Health Commission

Submitted:

02/03/2010

Modified:

02/11/2010

The NACCHO Toolbox is a repository of available resources to help local public health practitioners. Tools are produced by local, state, and federal agencies, as well as academic institutions and other stakeholders. The contents of this Toolbox are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official recommendations of NACCHO. NACCHO makes no express or implied warranty with respect to the contents and disclaims liability for any damages arising from or connected to the use of the material in this Toolbox.