Fall brings with it two certainties: a new school year and a new flu season. This year, families are on the lookout for two different kinds of flu: the seasonal flu that arrives in October or November and winds down in March, and the H1N1 (swine flu) that hit this country last April and is still circulating.
Swine flu has received the most press and perhaps raised the most alarm bells among parents. As of early September, this flu had killed 593 people in the United States and hospitalized 9,079. It’s considered most dangerous for ages 5 to 24 and very young children, which is why it makes parents so nervous. People over age 64 seem to have some immunity, perhaps because they’ve encountered similar viruses in the past.
Still, health experts urge parents not to panic about H1N1, assuring them that most children and adults will probably suffer from typical flu symptoms, spend a few days at home recuperating and then be back on their feet.
All that said, here are four things you need to know about H1N1 and the seasonal flu:
1 Seasonal influenza is actually more deadly than H1N1. (It kills 36,000 people in the United States each year and hospitalizes 226,000.) It’s most dangerous for the elderly, the very young and those with underlying medical conditions.
2 Regularly washing your hands is the best way to stay healthy.
3 An H1N1 vaccine won’t protect you against seasonal flu or vice versa.
4 If you get sick, stay home.
More Resources
• National Centers for Disease Control Follow the Web site for this health monitoring and research organization for information on the spread of flu, prevention, and vaccine guidelines.
• Flu.gov This U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site bills itself as a one-stop source of information on H1N1, avian and pandemic flu. Here you’ll find prevention tips, including for pregnant women, flu monitoring information state by state and more.
• Flu Busters Find flu vaccination clinics in your area.
The series "The Flu and You" is by Christina Elston, senior editor and health writer for Dominion Parenting Media. To keep up with family health news, check out herHealthE blog.
