Insight (1995)

Pandemic (2014x32)

: 23, 2014

Australia – and the world - is at risk of a deadly pandemic. But it’s not Ebola. Australia – and the world - is at risk of a deadly pandemic taking hold. But it’s not Ebola. The real threat is influenza. A new, severe strain has the potential to bring our society to its knees. You would transmit it before you realised you were sick. You wouldn’t have any immunity. It would spread like wildfire. And that’s why it’s deadly. In a special episode, Insight explores just how Australia would cope in a hypothetical influenza pandemic situation. How do hospitals decide who to treat? If the people producing our food are sick, where do we get it from? If you couldn’t work for a fortnight, could you still pay the bills? If mass gatherings are banned, does that mean you can’t attend a family member’s funeral? Who gets access to a vaccine first? Why? Can washing your hands really help? The next influenza pandemic is not a matter of "if", but "when". Are we ready?