As a local medical officer of health, I feel my primary responsibility is to protect the health of the public. And if I'm trying to make a decision about health protection in the face of some uncertainty, which is a very common situation, I will try to err on the side of health protection. You could describe that as a precautionary principle, of taking action without having absolute certainty. The principle, I think, is the same.
On May 27th, 2009. See this statement in context.