While mass media coverage of bird flu often provides specific information that may prevent or contain the disease, it is often less than ideal; the public may become fearful and panic at the news of a potential outbreak of bird flu which has a high fatality case rate of more than 60% with no available proven vaccine while supplies of antivirals may be in short supply. As reported by Reuters (3/17/2006) using data from the CDC, a correlation was made between the intense media coverage of bird flu outbreaks overseas in the Fall of ‘05, and a ‘spike’ in sales of Tamiflu which was higher than at any other time over the previous 5 years; documented by syndromic surveillance of Medicaid scrips (NYS DOH), and retail pharmacy sales (NYC DOHMH), authorities suspect the drug was stockpiled.
Objective
To ascertain whether mass media reportage of bird flu outbreaks during the moderate US flu season of 2006-7 influenced sales of antivirals in NYC and Upstate NY as monitored by syndromic surveillance, and to compare such data to that generated during the moderate flu season of 2005-06 following a period of intense media coverage in the Fall of 2005.