[Influenza pandemic: A real threat ?].

An influenza pandemic is not merely a theoretical threat, but an historical fact. Reliable predictions of the timing of a new pandemic or its extent are, however, impossible. A pandemic poses a threat to society at large, which can be effectively prepared for by appropriate planning and investment in supplies of vaccine doses, antiviral medication and effective monitoring systems. During the interpandemic phase, general practitioners have an important role in raising the level of immunization and providing medical care to those contracting the disease when a pandemic does break out.