ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The U.S. government has ordered
more than 250 million vaccines to try to keep the H1N1 virus under control.
Experts agree the worldwide cost and health burden of the swine flu is
nothing to joke about, but is it reason to panic?
Fresh out of high school, 19-year-old Matt Mcintosh had his music career on
the horizon. Then, he woke up with a fever.
"Just flu-like. He was achy, you know. He had a headache," Katrina McIntosh
told Ivanhoe. Ten days later, Matt died from swine flu-related
complications. Three weeks later, the same virus took his older sister
Mindy's life.
"It can happen to anybody. People really need to be cautious," McIntosh
cautioned.
What do doctors know about H1N1?
"It's a virus that nobody has immunity to," Tim Hendrix, M.D., Medical
Director at Florida Hospital Centra Care in Orlando told Ivanhoe.
Experts also know the country is facing the health and economic burden of a
double-flu season. While so far the symptoms and complications of H1N1 are
no different from seasonal flu, children and young adults seem to be more
vulnerable.
"For some reason, with H1N1, we're not seeing as many older people," Hendrix
explained.
Keep yourself safe in the pandemic. Stay at least six feet away from people
with a cough. If you're at risk of complications, get the vaccine for both
seasonal and
H1N1 flu. And you know to wash your hands, but alcohol-based sanitizers
protect against the virus if rubbed into the hands until dry. What not to
do? Panic.
"We have seen some deaths associated with H1N1, but it's what we would
associate with a typical flu season," Hendrix reasoned.
The Spanier family isn't taking any chances. Their girls are getting
vaccinated today. "There's a lot of talk about how bad it might get," Adam
Spanier told Ivanhoe why he took his daughter to get vaccinated.
If you have the swine flu, the CDC recommends that you stay home for at
least 24 hours after your fever is gone. Symptoms typically include fever,
cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and
fatigue. Some may also experience vomiting and diarrhea.
Source : Ivanhoe Newswire
