Abstract

With the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement earlier this year and the upcoming commencement of amendments to the International Health Regulations, this research compares pre-pandemic planning assumptions with the realities of COVID-19. Using document analysis and descriptive epidemiological methods, the research evaluates pandemic assumptions to demonstrate how the characteristics of COVID-19 shaped the effectiveness of Australia's response. The research reveals significant gaps in previous pandemic planning assumptions, particularly regarding transmission dynamics, controllability, and response strategies. Examining Australia's response strategy against the evolving characteristics of COVID-19 highlights the effectiveness of interventions in reducing the overall mortality impact, including following the Omicron variant's emergence in late 2021. The findings also describe the critical role of public health evidence in decision-making during the pandemic and the benefit of flexible, pathogen-agnostic pandemic preparedness.

Speaker bio

Kate Pennington is an epidemiologist from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and a Sir Roland Wilson scholar currently completing her PhD at NCEPH. Between 2020 and 2021, she worked in the National Incident Centre leading a team of epidemiologists and data analysts to provide evidence-based advice and support public health response policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to this, she worked on several other communicable diseases, including influenza, where she contributed to the development of responsive and effective public health policies and programs across government.