"Why tell me now?" the public and healthcare providers weigh in on pandemic influenza messages.

As scientists closely watch avian influenza A (H5N1) or "bird flu" as a potential progenitor of an influenza pandemic, researchers from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education conducted with focus groups with the public and interviews with healthcare providers to test pandemic influenza messages. General public findings include variable awareness of pandemic influenza, subtle changes in terms (eg, flu or influenza), and challenged communication; and "vaccine priority group" opposition to the term priority group because it meant they could be left out. Healthcare providers reported Goggle and local infectious disease specialists as dominant sources of pandemic information. The results of the study provide specific guidance for those who will develop messages about pandemic influenza for the public and healthcare provider audiences.