Norwegians approve of the health authorities' strategy to communicate worst case pandemic scenarios.

According to the Norwegian pandemic preparedness plans, health authorities shall assess their communication activities before and during an outbreak of infectious diseases. A survey was conducted on 29 April 2009 on acceptance of communications by the national public health authorities concerning the emerging threat from the new influenza A(H1N1) virus. The survey was similar to other surveys in 2005-6 about the avian flu. The results were not very different--the overall majority of the people interviewed were not worried and the health authorities were regarded as trustworthy.