The second aspect that stands out is the development of governance arrangements. The studies of Coutinho and Osterhaus demonstrate that since they were pioneers in the development of new governance arrangements, they remained central figures in these arrangements for infectious disease control. The emerging governance structures and the pioneering virologists remained tied together. It is no accident that when the CIDC was being set up, Osterhaus and Coutinho were the prime, if not only, candidate directors. Up until the H1N1 pandemic, these two virologists were the key figures in policymaking and public debate. In cases where new governance arrangements emerge, we can thus expect the leading figures in that process to remain tied to those arrangements. It is certainly relevant to scrutinise the degree in which the experts themselves strive to remain tied, whether the arrangements as such keep them tied, and why. This article demonstrates how the involvement of certain figures is understandable from a historical and biographical perspective.