Effective communication about medical countermeasures—including drugs, devices,
and biologics—is often critical in emergency situations. Such communication, how-
ever, does not just happen. It must be planned and prepared for. One mechanism to
develop communication strategies is through the use of prospective scenarios, which
allow readers the opportunity to rehearse responses while also weighing the implica-
tions of their actions. This article describes the development of such a scenario: The
SPARS Pandemic 2025–2028. Steps in this process included deciding on a time frame,
identifying likely critical uncertainties, and then using this framework to construct a
storyline covering both the response and recovery phases of a fictional emergency
event. Lessons learned from the scenario development and how the scenario can be
used to improve communication are also discussed.