The recent launch of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2009 Flu Prevention Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest reminded us how important a role health and risk communications play in responding to outbreaks and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. For those who haven’t heard about the PSA contest, HHS has invited the public to create a video PSA with a message about preventing or dealing with the flu and to post it on YouTube. The winner will be eligible to win a $2,500 cash prize.
This video contest is only one small piece of a much larger effort by HHS and CDC to prevent the spread of flu, both H1N1 and seasonal, and to reduce its impact on populations. This outbreak response, however, is fundamentally different from responses to previous outbreaks. Not only is outbreak of the novel H1N1 virus the first pandemic of the 21st century, it also represents the first time that the federal government has fully employed 21st century communication technology as part of a major outbreak response.
