Flu pandemic : how prepared are we?

Abstract

In this podcast Professor Robert Dingwall, Director of the 'Institute of Science and Society' at the University of Nottingham, and a member of the UK government’s Department of Heath committee on the ethical aspects of pandemic influenza, discusses the causes and potential impact of a flu pandemic on the UK. In particular, examining how prepared the UK government is to cope with the medical and social impacts of a flu pandemic, and what steps we can take as individuals to protect ourselves.

In the last century, there were three separate flu pandemics, the most serious of which occurred in 1918, which is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of 50 million people worldwide. Professor Dingwall discusses the likelihood of another flu pandemic happening in the future and the differing methods available for protecting the population. He also discusses how a flu pandemic could be defeated, emphasising the importance of the role of the wider community and personal responsibility. Professor Dingwall also discusses the potential impact of a flu pandemic on the workplace, in particular health care professionals and the conflicting responsibilities to themselves, their families and their jobs.

How prepared are we in the UK for the potential impact of a flu pandemic?