It's reached a point now where China's top leaders have ordered government departments to step up measures to ensure the problem remains in check.  The State Council has said China faces "severe challenges" in preventing and controlling the outbreak of the A/H1N1 influenza strain, which appears to be spreading rapidly in a number of areas in the country.  The State Council has also asked vaccine producers to speed up their production, given that there are limited supplies at present.  Meanwhile, in the United States, the Obama administration has declared a national emergency because of H1N1, admitting that the virus has the potential to overwhelm health officials in communities affected by the virus.  So the underlying question is, what can you do to minimize your risk of contracting the H1N1 virus?  And who is most at risk? 

Ni hao, you're listening to  People In the Know,  your window into the world around you, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International.  In this edition of the show we'll be talking about the A/H1N1 flu. 

First we'll hear from a medical expert here in Beijing.  Mr. Huang Jianshi is the Assistant President of the Chinese Academy of Medical Science at Peking Union Medical College. For more on this we're joined on the line now by Ms. Vivian Tan, spokesperson for the World Health Organization here in China.