Following the H5N1 deaths in 1997, Osterhaus unfolded a scenario that matched his earlier response to BSE. Virologists, including Osterhaus, urged the WHO to develop pandemic preparedness plans, which was done instantly. In an individual capacity, he then initiated a meeting to discuss the appropriate policy responses for Europe. Besides him initiating the meeting, it is interesting to see how he organised this meeting and steered its outcomes. Osterhaus was a well-known and respected figure in the European health policy scene, belonging to some of the key scientific or health care committees. A first move he made when organising the 1998 meeting was to hand it over to an EU civil servant, now the meeting's captain. The civil servant would take credit for this meeting, and it would also be political. The second move was to select the participants, including the responsible EU commissioner and a range of influential virologists. By selecting the participants himself, Osterhaus brought together a specific body of political power and scientific expertise; and he managed to orchestrate the political process in a direction he deemed optimal without drawing attention to himself. Osterhaus strategically translated his pandemic warning into an official and visible EU committee.