CDC A/H1N1 Swine Flu

The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is at least better than the World Health Organisation (WHO) in providing info on A/H1N1 (swine flu). But there are problems with the CDC website.

Here are 5 examples, and a bouquet (sorry wordpress doesn’t automatically format url’s and I’m busy) .

Eg 1

From newswroom at

http://www.cdc.gov/media/

Clicking on swine flu box at top takes you to outdated

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm

Eg 2

27 Apr 2009 0241GMT

http://www.cdc.gov/media/archives.htm

latest is April 23!

Eg 3

CDC asks you to register for chrissakes to get info

http://www.videonewswire.com/cdc/58393/reg.html

and there is no podcast on that page

Eg 4

A090249GMT

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/whatsnew.htm

links to transcript of 23 April 2009

Eg 5

http://www2a.cdc.gov/podcasts

Don’t know diff between podcast and vidcast

Examples of good CDC practice

http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2009/a090426.htm

url states date and GMT

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/investigation.htm.

CDC say this page will be updated daily at 3 p.m. ET until further notice.

Kevin McCready

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