Sir,

The authors conclusions that the media did not 'over-hype' the swine flu nondemic are reached as a result of a methodology that directed them towards that conclusion; an analysis solely of the UK print media.

I travelled to New Zealand on 11 May - two weeks after the first cases emerged - and arrived in Melbourne on the 5th June, a time when this was arguably the swine flu capital of the world. Yes, it was apparent that there was flu circulating and I fell victim to it, but the print media response was far more measured and balanced than it was here. The joys of the internet meant that I was following the print media in the UK closely, as well as reading the major daily newspapers in both Australia and New Zealand.

I suspect that an analysis of the UK print media v that of other countries may expose our response to this nondemic for the hysteria that it was.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Jones

Conflict of Interest:

None declared