swine flu

Have you heard of it?  It's probably ALL you hear about these days.  So I, being a health promotion specialist (okay, not really) will set all the rumors straight.  First of all, there are sooooo many opinions, advice and panic.  While I'm no expert and certainly no doctor, I've had a class on it and my teacher is a doctor, plus, you know...I read some news articles.

Basics.  Well, first of all, it's waaaaay over rated. The reason people are so worried is because of the flu pandemic of 1918.  That flu was so bad because it was a strain of H1N1 that no one had ever had contact with before.  Such is the case with the 2009 version of H1N1, swine flu.  They are waiting for this flu season to come back to see if it will have mutated enough to be a disaster, like in 1918.

Interesting fact:  most the people who died in the 1918 pandemic were young and had healthy immune systems.  What happened?  Well, those kids' immune system kicked the unknown flu's butt, and continued right to their own lungs, where, if they died, it was from respiratory failure, ie drowning in their own fluid.  So, should we be worried that it's the colleges and high schools where most people will die if a pandemic strikes? Well, not exactly.  We do make it on the priority list, but we are definitely not the first.  Most sources say that the following people are at risk and therefore are highest on the vaccination priority list:

pregnant women
people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old
people ages of 25 through 64 of age who are at higher risk because of chronic disease or compromised immune systems.

(source from msn.com)


It is not something to be taken lightly; however, we don't need to freak out. Rather, let's be smart.

There are a lot of contradicting sources, and I don't know enough to decide which source is best.  However, I have found that msn.com has solid articles to read.

This article, from the mayo clinic via msn, is REALLY good.  I think it should answer most questions.

I'm not sure how much a flu vaccination is (I think at colleges maybe 20 dollars?) and I'm not sure how much the swine flu vaccination will be.  However, if you have to only get one, I would say (but I'm not a doctor and therefore should not completely influence your decision) to get the normal flu shot vaccine because: that is much more common, has a higher attack rate, and covers more types of the flu (three, to be exact).

However, it can't hurt to be vaccinated for both, because then you are protected from that strain at a later date.  At least get A flu shot.  And definitely if you fall into those categories.

More people die of the normal flu. (36,000 a year in the U.S.)  In fact, according to msn, they say that the swine flu is usually more mild (w/o complications) than the normal flu.  Most people don't die and here is a good way to keep your self from people one of them.  Let's remember prevention.

1.  wash your hands.  often.  always.  try not to touch your face if you haven't just washed your hands, as that is an excellent way to transmit germs.


2.  do NOT cough/sneeze into the air. cover your coughs (and NOT with your hands).  do you KNOW how many germs go into the wide open air (that aren't there already?) when you sneeze in the open?

3.  if you are sick, think you are, or have symptoms, STAY HOME.  it is an INFECTIOUS disease, which means it passes PERSON to PERSON.  don't put others at risk!


Okay so, off my soap box of prevention...just be smart!  

I would highly recommend paroozing the msn page dedicated to swine flu.  It has some really great definitions, articles, and lists, including symptoms, etc. 

While I definitely think that it's overrated, that is no reason to not be healthy and safe.  Keep yourself safe from the normal flu AND swine flu at the same time!   

(p.s., I do not intend to feed you false information.  Most of my info came from my infectious diseases class and msn.com.  please contact me if I said something crazy wrong...or something).  remember, I am not really a health professional.