Pandemic flu occurs when a new influenza virus appears or emerges in the human population and causes a global outbreak of the disease, resulting in serious illness as it spreads from person to person. Pandemic flu has occurred naturally throughout history. There have been three pandemics in the last 100 years:

·                  1918 - 1919: "Spanish flu"

·                  1956 - 1958: "Asian flu"

·                  1968 - 1969: "Hong Kong flu"

Pandemics are unpredictable and it is hard to know when one will occur, what type of flu it will be, and how severe it will be. A flu pandemic could cause many deaths and severe illnesses, disrupt some parts of daily life, and limit the amount of health and other services available. Gatherings of people might be limited to control the spread of the disease (schools and businesses may close, sporting events could be cancelled, and transportation could be limited). Additionally, hospitals could be overloaded if doctors and nurses are sick. There also may be more people with the flu than the hospitals can take. In this case, some people would need to be cared for in their homes or other places.