Protecting the Population From the 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Virus

This case takes place in the summer of 2009 as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and various stakeholders faced difficult decisions about how to manage a potential H1N1 pandemic in the fall. It begins with the concerns of the chair of the special meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that would make recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on how to prioritize vaccine distribution to protect the population. Central to these concerns was that in the middle of a pandemic, state and local public health officials could be faced with vaccine shortages and unclear protocols. 

The case reviews the differences between pandemic flu and seasonal flu, provides background about H1N1, and illustrates the range of multi-disciplinary perspectives required to address public health issues. While acknowledging the global dimensions of pandemic flu, it focuses predominantly on the domestic decision making processes. It allows for a discussion of basic concepts of epidemiology, vaccine development, production and distribution, the construction of policies in the setting of uncertainty, and communication with the public. 

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