Wendy Parmet, Boston Globe, June 30, 2009 The World Health Organization has announced the obvious: The H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak has become a global pandemic. Fortunately, the virus thus far appears to be far less lethal than many expected and that is wonderful news as our preparation for H1N1 demonstrated some serious flaws in our public health policies. Over the last five years, the catchphrase for US pandemic policy was “preparedness.’’ At its core, preparedness emphasized the need to keep watch and be ready for a public health catastrophe, such as a highly lethal pandemic. ... A