Pandemic haunting impedes preparedness

Collective unresolved trauma and contested media narratives about the last pandemic (how risks, restrictions, and blame were framed) shape public memory and make political coalitions for future preparedness harder to build. Addressing psychological and narrative legacies is therefore a necessary piece of biomedical and logistical preparedness. — If true, pandemic policy must include narrative repair and public‑memory work, not only stockpiles and plans — otherwise political support and behavioral compliance will be weaker when the next threat arrives.