# 2648
One of the nicest things about being a flu blogger is quality of the company I get to keep. I not only read, and enjoy, the other bloggers - I've become friends with many of them as well.
And one of the perks of having a blog is the ability to give a `hat tip' to a colleague when they've done something particularly well, or have found something of interest that you'd like to mention in your own blog.
Today, I get to do a double hat tip to SophiaZoe, and another to Drs. Sandman and Lanard.
SophiaZoe, my cyber-twin and editor of A Pandemic Chronicle, after a work-related absence, is blogging furiously again. And we're glad to have her back.
I'll call you attention to two of her recent blogs.
First, this one from yesterday where she highlights two of my favorite writers, Drs. Peter M. Sandman and Jody Lanard, latest work on a very topical subject: Healthcare worker vaccinations.
Influenza vaccine messaging
by SophiaZoe on January 11, 2009
Drs. Sandman and Lanard have published a new article that is worth a read even if one is not a healthcare worker. Unfortunately, many of the general public also hold the beliefs and misconceptions addressed.
Convincing Health Care Workers to Get a Flu Shot … Without the Hype
Susan Keady, an infection control practitioner in Alaska, recently sent the following comment to this website’s Guestbook:
My hospital is struggling, as we do every year, trying to get hospital employees to accept influenza immunization. There seem to be two issues here.
First, people say “I don’t need a vaccine because the flu is no big deal” or “because I never get the flu.” It’s a high-hazard, low-outrage risk. Of course, most of the hazard is to our patients.
Second, employees tell us that the flu vaccine is dangerous, has serious side effects, and may have unrecognized adverse effects on health. Vaccination is low-hazard, high-outrage.
Any suggestions on preparing messages to deal with both these issues? We are not finding that education or evidence work!
The Peter M. Sandman Risk Communication Website is a veritable treasure trove of excellent risk-communications information.
Anyone whose job it will be to communicate during a crisis would do well to visit the website of Dr. Peter Sandman, who is an expert in risk communication, and who has written about pandemic communications on several occasions.
Since the Sandman website has so much information, a good place to start is the Crisis Communication (High Hazard, High Outrage) page. Here you will find a number of articles on risk communication during events such as pandemics, hurricanes, and other disasters.
Highly Recommended.
Over the weekend, I was dragged kicking and screaming (well, not quite that traumatically) into the world of twitter by one of my blogging buddies.
I was already a little intrigued with the idea after reading another blog by SophiaZoe, outlining FEMA's upcoming Twitter Media Conference, scheduled for later today.
FEMA and Twitter
by SophiaZoe on January 9, 2009
There is going to be an interesting “New Media” event on Monday January 12.
FEMA Administrator David Paulison will be available from 3 -3:30 pm Monday, Jan 12, 2009, to give a message and reply to questions using the agency’s Twitter account, femainfocus. The agency’s top official will discuss where FEMA was, where it is now, and where he sees it going.
All related documents will be posted or linked from this page so please use this page to bookmark or link to.
Readers of this blog may have noted that I am a participant on Twitter, and FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency, US] is one of my Twitter “friends”, which simply means I receive their posts meant for those that have “friended” them.
