FluPortal.org

Public health issues often get their own Public Service Announcements (PSAs), and H1N1 has gotten its fair share of audio and video treatments. Congresspeople have gotten in on the action, too: Look for audio and video PSAs by your state’s representatives.

The Department of Health and Human Services, having recorded several PSAs and with several more to come, enlisted the help of the very public it’s trying to educate. The 2009 Flu Prevention PSA Contest had 240 submissions. A panel of public health and media experts selected 10 finalists, and now the public gets to vote on their favorite.

You and your listeners can vote, too, until September 16. Vote here.

The winner gets $2500 and airtime on a number of media outlets. Maybe public media outlets, too.

This one didn’t make it to the finals. But it deserves some appreciation.

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