 Catch it, Bin it, Kill it 2007 poster by the National Health Service | |
| Market | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Release date(s) | 2007 |
| Slogan |
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"Catch It, Bin It, Kill It" is a slogan used in several public health campaigns of the British government to promote good respiratory and hand hygiene by recommending carrying tissues, using them to catch a cough or sneeze, disposing of them immediately in a waste bin and then killing any remaining viruses by washing hands or using hand sanitiser. In 2007, following evidence that good respiratory and hand hygiene might reduce the spread of flu, the phrase appeared in a government campaign that publicised the directive "Catch it, Bin it, Kill it" throughout the NHS, on buses and trains and in libraries, shopping centres and police stations.
In 2009, the slogan received widespread attention when the government funded its use in a national media campaign in response to the 2009 flu pandemic caused by swine flu. In that year, funding was granted for research to study public behaviour and the effect of initiatives such as the campaigns using the slogan. One of the researchers stated that "Until a vaccine is ready, the main tool we have to combat pandemic flu is people's behaviour. For example, good respiratory and hand hygiene, as summed up in the NHS's 'Catch It, Bin It, Kill It' campaign, can slow the spread of the pandemic."[1] The Medical Research Council later funded a randomised controlled trial to support evidence for the campaign. The message has been taught to children using an online game led by Public Health England (PHE), and a downloadable poster has been available, particularly targeted at primary care services in the UK.
The phrase and poster was revived by PHE in subsequent campaigns, including in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, and has been included in the government's "Action Plan", unveiled on 3 March 2020 following a rise of COVID-19 cases in the UK.