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CDC EID journal Volume 14 Number 5—May 2008 Main Article

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 2

Responses to questions about school closings during an influenza pandemic*

Question Possible responses
Yes No Don't know/
refused to answer
If schools/daycare closed for 1 mo, could arrange care so that at least 1 employed adult in household could go to work† 93 5 2
If schools/daycare closed for 3 mo, could arrange care so that at least 1 employed adult in household could go to work† 86 11 3
If schools/daycare closed for 1 mo, at least 1 employed person would have to stay home from work†
 60
 37
 3
Among those who could arrange care so that at least 1 adult in household could go to work if schools closed for 1 mo:
If schools were closed for 3 mo, would be willing to give school lessons at 
home‡ 95 5 <0.5
Would need help giving school lessons at home
 47
 53
 <0.5
If schools and daycare closed for 1 mo would be able to work from home and take care of children§ 25 72 3
If public health officials recommended, could keep children from taking public transportation, going to public events and gathering outside home while schools closed for 3 mo‡
 85
 13
 2
A lot/some
 Little/none
 Don't know/
refused to answer
Would need outside help with problems of having to keep children at home† 35 64 1
Children in household get free breakfast or lunch at school or daycare¶ 25 74 1
If school/daycare closed for 3 mo, would be problem that children could not get free meals¶ 8 91 1

*From the Harvard School of Public Health, Pandemic Influenza Survey, 2006. Numbers represent percentage of responses to each question.
†Among respondents who have major responsibility for children <5 y in daycare or children 5–17 y in household and have at least 1 working adult in household (n = 634).
‡Among respondents with major responsibility for children 5–17 y in household (n = 610).
§Among employed respondents who have major responsibility for children <5 y in daycare or children 5–17 y in household (n = 537)
¶Among respondents who have major responsibility for children <5 y in daycare or children 5–17 y in household (n = 664).

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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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