There are also a number of ''firsts'' for the 2009 pandemic after an interpandemic period of more than four decades (Box 1). These brought both opportunities and challenges. Under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), the process of a global review by public health specialists from around the world has recently begun. They were nominated by national authorities and are led by an elected chair who assessed the handling of the 1976 swine influenza event among US military personnel at Fort Dix [9] . Here we offer some initial reflections on the first 12 months of the present pandemic.