H1N1 formerly known as Swine Flu, and Seasonal Flu.

H1N1 formerly known as Swine Flu, and Seasonal Flu.

Stop the Insanity!

The following is an excerpt from the Globe and Mail and is about the best sense I've seen on the H1N1 (Swine flu) and seasonal flu.

Credits to http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/stop-theconflusionhere-are-theh1n1-facts/article1317237/ Andre Picard for the complete article

Here, in a few brief words, is the essential of what you need to know about pandemic influenza:

H1N1 is a new virus so a lot of people will contract it. As many as one in three Canadians could fall sick with H1N1 if they are not vaccinated.

The good news is that, so far, disease caused by H1N1 has been relatively mild. A small percentage – but significant number – of people will get very sick and some will die.

Those at greatest risk of getting sick are pregnant women and people (especially children) with chronic medical conditions such as asthma.

Healthy young adults seem to get a lot sicker from H1N1 than they do from seasonal flu.

There's going to be a H1N1 vaccine available in a few weeks. It's a good idea to get it to avoid getting sick and infecting others.

It's also wise to get the seasonal flu vaccine. The “normal” flu sickens many and kills about 5,000 people a year, most of them seniors.

These vaccines are free.

Handwashing is an effective way of reducing the spread of germs, including H1N1 virus. Staying home when you're sick is another way to avoid spreading illness.

H1N1 is not the only disease out there. Even if you get the vaccine, you may get sick.

Every effort is being made to ensure the H1N1 vaccine is safe, but every drug has potential side effects. Experts believe that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

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