In 2009, the world responded to its first influenza pandemic since 1968. A new strain of the virus was discovered in March when three children (California and Texas) were hospitalized for respiratory infections. The following month, the H1N1 virus took its first victim: a young boy in Mexico. As the severity of the outbreak became clearer, a massive coordinated response effort was undertaken by government agencies, scientists, private industry, and the general public.

Over the next few months, a vaccine was tested and developed. In July, all communications about H1N1 and seasonal flu became centralized on a new website: www.flu.gov, providing users with a one-stop comprehensive site for flu-related information from across HHS and other federal agencies.  In October, distribution began. Early on, the vaccine was allocated to priority groups who were