Benedict I. Truman ^1*, Timothy Tinker ², Elaine Vaughan ³, Bryan K. Kapella ⁴, Marta Brenden ⁵, Celine V. Woznica ⁶, Elena Rios ⁷, Maureen Lichtveld ⁸

¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Minority Health and He
² Booz Allen Hamilton
³ University of California, Irvine
⁴ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine
⁵ Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement
⁶ Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
⁷ National Hispanic Medical Association
⁸ Tulane University

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bit1{at}cdc.gov.

	Abstract

Some immigrants and refugees might be more vulnerable than other groups to pandemic influenza because of preexisting health and social disparities, migration history, and living conditions in the United States.

Vulnerable populations and their service providers need information to overcome limited resources, inaccessible health services, limited English proficiency and foreign language barriers, cross-cultural misunderstanding, and inexperience applying recommended guidelines. To increase the utility of guidelines, we searched the literature, synthesized relevant findings, and examined their implications for vulnerable populations and stakeholders.

Here we summarize advice from an expert panel of public health scientists and service program managers who attended a meeting convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 1 and 2, 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Key Words: Immigration, Immunization/Vaccines, Infections, Public Health Practice, Refugees, Respiratory Health

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				S. S. Hutchins, B. I. Truman, T. L. Merlin, and S. C. Redd Protecting Vulnerable Populations From Pandemic Influenza in the United States: A Strategic Imperative Am J Public Health, October 1, 2009; 99(S2): S243 - S248. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]