According to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), pandemic influenza A (H1N1) is removed from the list of Category I Notifiable Infectious Disease to be included in the list of Category IV Notifiable Infectious Disease and reported as influenza complications beginning June 19, 2009. The change is explained as follows:

1. The pandemic influenza A (H1N1) outbreak that began in April 2009 has spread to the rest of the world.On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization declared pandemic influenza A (H1N1) a global pandemic because the outbreak is no longer confined to certain regions.
2. According to the current epidemiological data, the overall severity of the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic appears to be moderate, which is similar to that during local seasonal influenza.
3. Beginning June 19, 2009, cases of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) are to be reported as influenza complications under Category IV Notifiable Infectious Disease according to the relevant regulations.
4. CECC has planned to further reinforce the surveillance of the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus in the community through integrating the National Health Insurance database into the existing surveillance system in order to monitor the virus activity timely and more closely and will make changes to the list of notifiable infectious disease according to the development and severity of the epidemic.
5. CECC will continue to function and closely monitor the development of the epidemic. The government will commit relevant resources to help contain the epidemic accordingly.The public is urged to follow the government disease control policies.