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Principles of Risk Communication 67

Appendix C.

Questions Frequently Asked by Journalists During Disease Outbreaks

Listed below are questions that journalists have asked by the public and
the media during disease outbreaks. These questions can be organized by
grouping them according to categories or themes (e.g., clinical, epidemio-
logical, accountability/blame, vulnerable groups, protective actions, etc.).

How contagious is the disease?
Can people be vaccinated? Will antibiotics and antiviral medicines work? How
effective is vaccination, antibiotics, or antiviral medicines for those with the
disease? How effective is vaccination, antibiotics, or antiviral medicines for those
who do not have the disease?
What are the signs and symptoms of the disease?
Who is in charge of the disease control effort? Are all efforts being coordinated?
Is the outbreak due to terrorism? Has the disease been “weaponized”? How certain
are you that it is not a deliberate release? What if the disease is a genetically altered
strain that is resistant to any known medical treatment?
What makes you think that the disease control strategies of the past will work
today?
What’s being done to stop the spread of the disease?
What kind of medical care is available to the population at risk? Are there enough
medical care facilities? What happens if these care facilities are overwhelmed by
demand?
What resources are being used to respond to the disease outbreak?
Can the disease be treated? How effective is treatment? Are there strains of the
disease that cannot be treated?
How does one know if the vaccination, antibiotics, or antiviral medicines are
working?
Are laboratories able to quickly diagnose the disease? How long does confirmation
take?
How do you know that existing vaccines, antibiotics, or antiviral medicines will
work?
Is the disease airborne? Waterborne?
Can people get the disease from insects, pets, farm animals, and wild animals?
What are authorities in nonaffected areas doing to prepare for an outbreak?
How is the vaccine made? How are the antibiotics and antiviral medicines made? Is
there enough vaccine, antibiotics, or antiviral medicine for everyone who wants