Swine Flu, the UpdateAs Schools Reopen, Experts Keep a Close Eye on the H1N1 Flu Virus

Sniff. Sniffle. Sn-i-iff-ff!

Hey, you, over there with the runny nose. Get a tissue. And wash your hands!

Not every sniffle and cough is a big deal. But sometimes they can be symptoms of a serious illness called the flu. Last spring, a particular type of flu made big news. Originally called the swine flu, it began in Mexico and was especially deadly. Thousands of people there became sick, and more than 100 died. That flu, caused by the H1N1 virus, quickly spread around the world. When it showed up in the United States, some schools closed to prevent the virus from spreading rapidly among the students. For reasons no one understands, the flu was not as deadly in the United States as it was in Mexico.

Over the summer, the number of cases declined. But now that schools have reopened, health experts are expecting a second wave of the H1N1 flu.

Help Is On the WayScientists are working hard to make a vaccine to prevent people from getting the H1N1 flu. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hopes to have about 45 million vaccines available by October 15. After that, 20 million more vaccines will be made available every week until December. Those shots might sting, but a quick pinch should be all a kid needs to keep from getting the H1N1 virus.

So far, more than 9,000 people in the United States have gone to hospitals with the virus. Like other types of influenza, H1N1 causes fever, chills, coughs, and that achy, tired feeling. Of those 9,000 people, about 600 have died from it. Most people recover from the flu by resting at home.

That is good news to Thomas Freiden, the director of the CDC. Scientists had been worried that the virus might mutate into a more lethal form.

"Everything that we've seen, both in this country and abroad, shows that the virus has not changed to become more deadly," he told reporters last week. "That means that although it may affect lots of people, most people will not be severely ill."

Fight Back!The CDC has worked with school principals and teachers to keep classrooms as germ-free as possible. Kids should know that there are many things they can do to help. One way is to cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing. Another important thing to do is wash your hands with warm water and soap many times during the day. Those tips can also help stop the spread of other colds and flu.

It's always bad news when people get sick. But the good news is that are ways to fight back to try to stay flu-free.

Read our downloadable handout: FAQs About H1N1 Flu—What Kids Want to Know

Vocabularyvirus—germ; the illness caused by that type of germ
mutate—change, transform
lethal—deadly

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