[The pandemic of the experts in the mass media. How to create trust in public communication by acknowledging ignorance and uncertainty]. / Die Expertenpandemie in den Massenmedien. Wie die Kommunikation von Nichtwissen und Unsicherheiten Vertrauen schaffen kann.

The first influenza pandemic in the twenty-first century is an example of how public trust in expert recommendations can erode if prognostic ability of these experts is suddenly doubted in the mass media. A highly consonant pandemic alarm communicated through the mass media can later cause heightened resonance concerning the appropriateness of the same alarm. In this case a paradoxical effect can develop, in which the same media outlet first paints an overly risky picture of an unfolding pandemic only to later condemn this assessment as alarmist. Can such behavior be considered a defect of journalism? In this article I describe the circumstances under which such media dynamics and "hypes" without trust in expertise are more likely to develop: when there is nontransparent decision making; when uncertainty and nescience of expert judgments are not communicated transparently; when warnings and measures taken are not readily adapted to the evolving risk situation in reality. If these basic principles are recognized in future pandemic risk communication, long-term public trust in scientific expertise can be secured. In this way, despite a public health crisis, a long-lasting break in the credibility of sound science can be avoided.

[First exchange of experiences concerning the H1N1 pandemic in Germany 2009/2010: report on a workshop held March 22-23, 2010, in Berlin]. / Erster Erfahrungsaustausch zur H1N1-Pandemie in Deutschland 2009/2010: Bericht über einen Workshop am 22. und 23. März 2010 in Berlin.

In April 2009 the first pandemic of the 21st century developed within a few weeks starting from Mexico. Its first wave reached Germany in autumn 2009 and was responsible for 1.8-3.5 million additional medical consultations. For the public health sector, this pandemic was one of the largest challenges of the last few decades. As a contribution to broader evaluations on national and international level, the Robert Koch Institute invited representatives from different professions involved in the pandemic response to participate in a workshop on 22-23 March 2010. This workshop was structured in short presentations, group work, and plenary discussions. Main experiences were that (a) pandemic preparedness was helpful, (b) the early warning systems were reliable, (c) vaccines were available within a few months, however, in limited amounts. Need for improvement was discussed for (a) effectiveness of vaccination logistics, (b) mechanisms for the reimbursement of the cost of vaccination, (c) availability of surveillance and monitoring systems, (d) integration of physicians in decision-making processes and health education, and (e) proactive communication strategies. Investments in the above mentioned areas can help to improve public health protection in the future.

The biosynthetic pathway of MHC class II but not class I molecules intersects the endocytic route.

We studied the intracellular traffic and subcellular distribution of MHC class I and class II antigens in comparison with a recycling surface glycoprotein, the transferrin receptor (Tfr), in the human lymphoblastoid cell line JY. No internalization was detectable for class I molecules. Class II molecules were internalized but did not recycle. In contrast, Tfr was found to internalize and recycle. The biosynthetic pathway of class II molecules differ from that of class I molecules in that it shows a delay (1-3 hr) in transport from trans-Golgi to cell surface: here it intersects the endocytic route. Immunoelectron microscopy using anti-MHC antibodies revealed the existence of vesicular structures that were intensely labeled for class II molecules. It is proposed that at this site combination of class II molecules with processed antigen could occur.