Fresh swine flu worries

On 1 January, following agitation by journalists, opposition politicians and medical experts alike, the UK government launched a nationwide influenza awareness campaign. As morbidity and mortality figures rose during December, especially for H1N1 swine flu, ministers abandoned their pleas that there was no need for such a campaign, which would normally have started three months earlier. Even when action was finally taken, it consisted only of advertising to emphasise the danger of flu, and the importance of hygiene measures to thwart its spread. Despite continued criticism, it did not include reminders to individuals in high-risk groups to seek vaccination.