What to do about a pandemic

So, it would appear that the bird flu can become a huge problem for humans with just a few mutations.  This is pretty scary.  In fact, scary enough that U.S. federal officials initially asked the journals to withhold publishing the papers, based on bioterrorism fears, but relented after an independent panel of experts determined there was no threat to public health.

However, what happens when it does become a threat to public health?