Publicatie

Publicatie datum

Lessons learned from the global surveillance of pandemic influenza, the different communication strategies and the impact on Europe’s public health response.

Velden, J. van der, Paget, W.J. Lessons learned from the global surveillance of pandemic influenza, the different communication strategies and the impact on Europe’s public health response. European Journal of Public Health: 2010, 20(suppl. 1), p. 103. Abstract. 3rd European Public Health Conference 'Integrated Public Health', 10 - 13 November 2010, Amsterdam.
After the first case of Mexican flu was reported in early spring 2009, a wave of reported cases went quickly through the (scientific) media. Pandemic influenza A(H1N1) activity was reported in all continents, but most countries were affected during summer 2009 in Latin America, Oceania and Asia, followed by countries in North America and Europe during late summer/autumn. Whereas the geographical distribution of the pandemic virus was clear, the severity pattern of the pandemic was far from clear. Consequently risk communication about the pandemic was not ideal and left critics with scepticism on whether the right measures were taken and money was spent in the correct way. We will review the global surveillance data of pandemic H1N1 and the different communication approaches to draw lessons on how this was arranged and how this can be better organized in the future.