Pandemic influenza control in Europe and the constraints resulting from incoherent public health laws

BMC Public Health

Table 2 Examples of pandemic measures with legal underpinning.

Measures	Out of 23 states
Reporting duties in relation to communicable disease	23
Reporting duties specific to human influenza	15
Compulsory screening	13
Compulsory isolation	17*
Compulsory quarantine	12*
Compulsory vaccination	9
Compulsory treatment	17
Provision of healthcare to an EU national resident in their state	18
Provision of healthcare to a visitor from an EU member state	18
Provision of healthcare to a visitor from outside Europe	16
Requisition of persons	16
Authorise unlicensed staff to be requisitioned to perform medical acts in a pandemic	7
Obligation of a worker to work in a pandemic	7
Requisition of premises	16
Requisition of goods	14
Compensation authorised for requisition of premises	10
School closures	20
Prohibition of mass gatherings	20

*This figure includes those states that intend to use this measure for 'listed' diseases. Even where influenza is currently not in the 'listed' category, the process of listing is simple and the intention is for the power to apply to pandemic influenza, once listed.

ISSN: 1471-2458