There has been increased concern about the prospect of an influenza pandemic, which many experts believe to be inevitable. Yet the general public does not appear to share this perception, especially in the shadow of equally scary but less likely risks of a bioterrorist attack. Moreover, recent problems with the availability and strain-specificity of vaccine for annual flu epidemics in some countries and the rise of pandemic strains of avian flu in disparate geographic regions have alarmed experts about the world's ability to prevent or contain a human pandemic. The workshop summary, The Threat of Pandemic Influenza: Are We Ready? A Workshop Summary, addresses this urgent concern.

The workshop, sponsored by the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Microbial Threats, aimed to inform the Forum, the public, and policymakers of the likelihood of an influenza pandemic and explored the issues that must be resolved to prepare and protect the global community. Participants discussed the history of influenza pandemics and the potentially valuable lessons it holds; the 2003-2004 H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in Asia and its implications for human health; ongoing pandemic influenza preparedness planning at global, regional, national, state, and local levels; strategies for preventing and controlling avian influenza and its transmission within bird and animal populations; and a broad range of medical, technical, social, economic and political opportunities for pandemic preparedness, as well as the many obstacles that stand in the way of this goal.