Pandemic influenza

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Alert status

If there is an influenza pandemic, what happens?

For planning purposes the different stages of the health response in an influenza pandemic have been grouped and defined with colour codes: Code White, Code Yellow, Code Red and Code Green.

More information on these alert codes is included in the New Zealand Influenza Pandemic Action Plan. In summary the codes mean:

Code White is information/advisory only, used in the planning stages of pandemic preparedness and for notification to the health sector of areas of concern overseas.

Code Yellow is a standby phase, used to alert the health sector when there has been a significant development in the virus overseas, or single isolated cases in New Zealand.

Code Red is the response phase, used to alert the health sector that they should activate their response plans.

Code Green is to notify the health sector to standdown response and move into the recovery phase.

Page last updated: April 2007