The World Health Organization (WHO) has produced an influenza pandemic handbook for journalists to help demystify the science behind avian and pandemic influenza. It is an introduction to everything one needs to know about influenza, including about avian influenza and the potential for a pandemic.
The contents include:
- The influenza basics
- Avian influenza and pandemic influenza - what's the difference?
- 20th century influenza pandemics - the facts
- What we don't know
- Antivirals and vaccines - how will they work?
- WHO's pandemic phases - what do they mean?
- Getting ready: Influenza pandemic preparedness
For journalists already familiar with avian and pandemic influenza, the handbook is an indispensable fact-checking reference. For those new to the issues, it's a pandemic primer to help put reporting in context, and a source for essential facts and figures. As the avian influenza situation continues to evolve, so too will this handbook and updates will be posted regularly.
The WHO Handbook for Journalists: Influenza Pandemic -- is available in the WHO media centre http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/ or directly at http://www.who.int/csr/don/Handbook_influenza_pandemic_dec05.pdf .
For more information, please contact:
Maria Cheng, Communications Officer
Tel: +41-22-791-3982
Email: chengm@who.int
For more information about avian and pandemic influenza, see http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html .
