Personal Planning Efforts

Learning good hygiene practices is a great place to start when preparing for a pandemic flu. If you learn how to properly wash you hands and contain the spread of germs today, you will lessen you chances of coming into contact with any type of germs and viruses, including those that cause pandemics.

Visit the Good Hygiene page for more information on how to limit the spread of germs.

Another practical way to personally prepare for pandemic flu is by creating a pandemic flu emergency kit. You should keep a variety of non-perishable foods in your emergency kit as well as enough water for all your family members and pets.

Planning for a pandemic will also help you prepare for other emergencies. For example, the items you store in your pandemic flu emergency kit may be used during a winter weather emergency. It is always good to have extra food and water in your home in case you cannot safely travel to the grocery store.

For suggestions on what to store in your pandemic flu emergency kit visit:

• Ready in 3 publication for how to better prepare for all types of emergencies
  • Planning for Emergencies
  • Planeación para emergencias (Spanish)
  • Qorsheynta Hawl gal Degdegga SaddexTallaabo oo Diyaar garow ah (Somali)
• American Red Cross - Home Care for Pandemic Flu
• Cruz Roja Americana - Pandemia de gripe: como cuidarse en casa (Spanish)
• Ohio Department of Health’s Get Prepared publication

Another great way to prepare for a pandemic is to have a Household Emergency Plan. When you complete this plan you will have a hardcopy of many of the emergency phone numbers and contacts that you will need during an emergency. In emergency situations you may not have access to the cell phone where most of your numbers are stored but this plan will ensure that you numbers are still available when you need them.

Download the word file of the Ohio Department of Health’s Household Emergency Plan

For additional information on how to help children prepare visit:

• The Get Ready Kid's Site
• Kid's Health Online

For additional information on how to personally plan for pandemic flu visit:

• Emergency Health Information Sheet
• How to talk to kids about Bird Flu
• Household Preparedness list from A to Z

Checklists

Emergency Contacts

Pandemic Flu Planning Checklist for Individuals & Families

Family Emergency Health Information Sheet

Planificación para individuos y familias (Spanish)

Taxanaha Hubinta ee Qorsheynta Ifilada Aafada ah ee Loogu Talogalay Shakhsiyaadka iyo Qoysaska (Somali)

個人和家庭流感大流行計劃檢查表 (Chinese)