FluPortal.org

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As you may know, FluPortal is collecting public media coverage of the H1N1 pandemic. To help this effort, we’re using the social bookmarking service Delicious.com. You can see our full list of H1N1 bookmarks on the FluPortal Delicious page. You’ll also see the tags we are using to organize the links we find. The number of stories associated with certain tags gives a sense of how H1N1 coverage is developing. Earlier this fall, we saw many reports on how schools and universities were preparing for the return of students. Lately, there have been numerous stories about the development and distribution of the H1N1 vaccine. Here are a few from the first week of October:

• OPB | H1N1 Vaccine Arriving And There Will Be Enough, Eventually
• VPR News | ‘Small portion’ of H1N1 vaccine arrives in NH
• KPCC | Lawmakers look to persuade most vulnerable to get swine flu vaccine

You can subscribe by RSS to our bookmarks at the bottom of our Delicious page. If you’re interested in a specific sub-topic, like the H1N1 vaccine, you can select any of our tags and subscribe by RSS to those stories only.

This evening, Wisconsin Public Television and Wisconsin Public Radio will present Here and Now – Preparing for H1N1. The collaboration will be broadcast on WPT stations and simulcast on the WPR Ideas Network across the state. The special will feature interviews with public health officials and medical experts and answer audience questions on the H1N1 pandemic.

I spoke with Andy Moore, a Senior News Producer at WPT, and asked about the timing of the program. “For this special, we wanted to find the right point in the story to engage our audience. We needed to wait until there was a sufficient level of awareness, but also produce the program early enough in the flu season to contribute prevention and education.” On how the TV and radio teams came to work together Moore says, “Our organizations have collaborated on election coverage in the past, and that set a model for how we came to work together on this issue.”

In addition to the on-air discussion, during the program there will be a separate toll-free number staffed by a panel of health experts to take questions from the audience off-air. The goal is to answer as many questions as possible from concerned citizens – not just the ones that make it on-air during the broadcast. Moore says, “Many people may have questions about H1N1, but some don’t want to ask them on a live call-in show. We wanted to serve that audience while also producing a valuable on-air discussion.”

The hour-long special airs tonight at 7 pm Central Time. Live video will be streamed on the WPT website and audio will be available on the WPR live stream.

NPR has consolidated its H1N1 coverage with the launch of a special series, “Swine Flu: The Second Wave“.  The web page will collect H1N1 coverage from NPR news reports and blogs as we head into flu season. NPR has also added the Second Wave series to the API Query Generator. Any stations using the older World Health H1N1 API feed should change to the new series to receive updated Swine Flu coverage this fall. Additionally, stations (and audience members) can take advantage of  the series RSS feed. We’ve updated our Web Resources page and NPR API guide to reflect the new NPR series.

Like schools and universities, childcare and early childhood programs will be watched closely this fall for any signs of seasonal or H1N1 influenza. The Center for Disease Control has issued new prevention guidance that highlights the dangers posed to young children. From the report:

Children less than 5 years of age are at increased risk of complications from [the flu]; the risk is greater among children less than 2 years old. Importantly, infants less than 6 months of age represent a particularly vulnerable group because they are too young to receive the seasonal or 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine; as a result, individuals responsible for caring for these children constitute a high-priority group for early vaccination.

Health offiicials have yet to suggest elementary and secondary schools close their doors at the first sign of H1N1 infection among students, but this new CDC report does call for childcare providers to consider “selective closures” to prevent the spread of flu among young children. On Flu.gov, you can read the full report, check out a communications toolkit for childcare centers, and read the technical report for state and local health officials on the risks posed to young children.

A number of public media stations and programs are covering the impact of the H1N1 pandemic on schools and universities. In planning for the return of students this fall, education officials and adminstrators find themselves ahead of the curve in combating the spread of H1N1 influenza. Among the reports:

• KSKA: District prepares for H1N1 cases
• New Hampshire Public Radio: At UNH, hoping the swine flu doesn’t arrive
• WAMU: Local universities prepare for threat of swine flu this year
• KPLU: Schools prepare for swine flu
• WUNC: Universities prepare for H1N1 flu
• NewsHour: Schools brace for H1N1 outbreaks
• Marketplace: Swine Flu prevention may cost schools

The CDC has issued H1N1 preparation guidelines for K-12 schools and other educational institutions. Stations may consider contacting their local school officials to discuss their H1N1 preparations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will host a press conference today at 12 pm ET on the H1N1 influenza pandemic. CDC Director Thomas Friedan will be updating the health agency’s H1N1 activities and answering questions from the media. The press conference will be webcast on the Flu.gov homepage. If public media stations would like to call in and participate in the press conference, you can find full details in the media advisory. A transcript of the press conference will be available later today in the CDC online press room.

To receive announcements of upcoming H1N1 briefings by the CDC, email media@cdc.gov

UPDATE: Full transcript and .MP3 audio of press conference is now posted on the CDC website. Or listen here:

[audio:http://www.fluportal.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/H1N1_09-03-09.mp3]

FEMA is using the website Ready.gov to promote the month of September as National Preparedness Month. The public awareness campaign encourages families, businesses and organizations to educate themselves of the proper actions to take in a wide variety of emergencies, including natural disasters, terrorist threats, and the expected return of the H1N1 pandemic. The site also lists supplies for a well stocked emergency kit to have on hand. Information for media outlets available in the Ready.gov Press Room.

The Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released a new report assessing the Obama Administration’s preparations for this fall’s expected resurgence of 2009-H1N1 flu. For a government document, it’s actually a pretty informative and suprisingly readable. The report outlines steps officials can take in the coming weeks and months to minimize the disease’s impact on the nation. You can read the White House press release or download the .pdf version of the full report. Among the highlights:

• Envisioning likely scenarios for the coming flu season
• Detailing the shortcomings of the existing data streams for monitoring the pandemic
• Recommendations for improving communications with the general public