Pandemic Communication

This chapter describes pandemics within established definition of crisis and the characteristics of pandemic communication. Both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have developed protocols for crisis and emergency risk communication. These systems both emerged from public health responses judged as ineffective. We describe the CDC and WHO protocols and explore their utility for pandemic crisis communication. This includes points of convergence, such as the essential role of communication in pandemic response, the importance of meeting audience’s needs, and the critical role of credibility in effective crisis and emergency risk communication. A research agenda for further examination of pandemic crisis and emergency risk communication includes a focus on politicizing intercultural issues.