Topic: Pandemic Flu
Country: United Kingdom
Delegate Name: Josh Cho
School: Cranbrook Kingswood
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All United Kingdom position papers GLIMUN 2009 committees
The United Kingdom recognizes that the pandemic flu has been a serious problem all over the world. The H1N1 virus, more commonly known as the Swine Flu, is especially dangerous because it is a mutated version of the influenza virus and therefore makes everybody vulnerable. The major cause for concern was the 1918 Swine Flu outbreak, which killed as many as a 100 million people around the world.
With the potential for another worldly outbreak, the United Kingdom believes that all countries should take all steps necessary to prevent one. Steps that can be taken to reduce the toll of Swine Flu include harsher restrictions at airports for people who are sick, wide distribution of Tamiflu, one of the only antiviral medications that have any effect on the H1N1, and by encouraging hygiene. With these cautions in place, we can dramatically reduce the worldwide impact of the H1N1.
The United Kingdom is in high risk of having a large H1N1 outbreak because it is a very cosmopolitan country. We are a large business hub and the London Heathrow Airport is the second busiest airport in the world. This makes the United Kingdom very vulnerable to the disease. As a result, we have released a swine flu vaccine for the general public. Since the first case of H1N1 in February of 2009, the number of infected people increased to over 7000 in June. Despite the flu’s low mortality rate (3 dead in 7800 cases), it is still a danger to the public and should be contained. The United Kingdom is also willing to help any country with acquiring vaccines, to help slow the spread of the disease.
