Which statement about the Public Health Emergency of International Concern is incorrect?

The statement regarding the announcement of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in 1918 for the H1N1 influenza pandemic is not accurate because the PHEIC designation was established much later. The World Health Organization (WHO) formally introduced the PHEIC framework in 2005 as a part of the International Health Regulations. Thus, any public health emergencies before this framework was created, including the 1918 influenza pandemic, cannot retroactively be classified as a PHEIC.

In contrast, the other statements correctly reflect the established timeline of public health emergencies recognized under the PHEIC declaration: the COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared a PHEIC in January 2020, the Ebola outbreak was recognized in 2014, and the Zika virus epidemic received the designation in 2016. Each of these events occurred after the PHEIC mechanism had been established, allowing for a structured international response to public health threats.