Swine flu - lessons we need to learn

Important lessons need to be learnt from the recent swine flu pandemic. Overall the population health effects of swine flu were less than a moderately severe seasonal influenza outbreak. A pandemic should not be declared unless we have both the spread of the virus but also when its virulence is above a predefined level. We need to ensure that we improve techniques to decrease the spread of infection both in the community and within our hospitals. This means improved infection control and hygiene with the use of masks, alcohol hand rubs and so on We also need to have a different approach to vaccines. Effective vaccines were produced only after the epidemic had passed and so had relatively little efficacy in preventing many infections. Mass population strategies involving vaccines and antivirals also misused large amounts of scarce medical resources.