Columbia University Pandemic Flu Response

To the Columbia Community:

The historical record suggests that an influenza pandemic may occur in our time. During the twentieth century, three such global outbreaks (in 1918-1919, 1957 and 1968) caused millions of deaths and extensive illness. While neither the timing nor the degree of severity of any future epidemic is predictable, it is important that we be prepared.

To that end, Columbia has instituted a Pandemic Preparedness Working Group (PPWG) with the charge of developing a pandemic response plan. A first draft of the PPWG plan was completed in the fall of 2006. The PPWG group is now working to help the University remain in a state of readiness. As part of these efforts, this website is intended to disseminate information about pandemic flu. If a pandemic does occur, important seasonal updates will be posted on this site as well as on the University homepage.

I encourage you to read the information on this website. If you have any questions, please email us at sls2109@columbia.edu.

Sincerely yours,

Samuel Seward, M.D.
Assistant Vice President
Health Services at Columbia
Morningside Campus