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.

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.

[6][7] The slogan "Catch it, Bin it, Kill it" has been used to reduce the spread of flu and norovirus, by "good respiratory and hand hygiene practices".

[14] The slogan aims to be memorable,[14] and "persuasive by making people feel bad",[15] by inducing guilt among those who do not adhere to the advice and therefore risk passing viruses and other pathogens to others.

"[21] In the autumn of 2009, and before the winter seasonal flu, the slogan was repeated by the new Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham, and broadcast on television and published in newspapers.

[31] A rise in seasonal flu in 2015 triggered the relaunch of the "Catch it, Bin it, Kill it" slogan in a campaign that year, when the newspapers, radio, video-on-demand and digital advertising broadcast its details for three weeks.

[41] In 2020, in response to COVID-19, NHS England made the "Catch it, Bin it, Kill it" poster available to download for primary care[42][43] and workplaces.

[45] In 2009, funding was granted to researchers from University College London to study public behaviour and the effect of initiatives such as the campaigns using the slogan.

That year, one of the researchers stated that "Until a vaccine is ready, the main tool we have to combat pandemic flu is people's behaviour.

[3] The trial used an international educational resource, led by PHE, to teach children about hygiene and antibiotics, E-bug, which produced games to endorse the message.

[46][47] One woman who was pregnant and living in Glasgow at the time of the swine flu pandemic of 2009–2010 recalled the "Catch It, Bin It, Kill It" phrase appearing on television, saying "it's obviously effective".