Jenny, dear, this H1N1 virus is/has killed people aged 12-30 that I have heard. It spreads quickly among the age range of 5 year olds to 65 year olds, with people who have other health issues, it can be deadly.

There have been 20 somethings who have died from the H1N1.

The best prevention is inoculation, thorough hand washing, covering the nose and face when sneezing and coughing, staying away from people who could have it, simple common sense.

Call me, little sis, and I'll give you the information I have on precautions and preventions. Just, please be careful and take care, this isn't something to be casual about.

I have never had my daughter vaccinated for the Flu and I havne't myself in several years after a bad episode with a shot. Should I maintain my normal "pre flu avoidance" routine or is this something to get slightly paranoid about...in your opinion? The only people who have actually died from this are infants and the elderly who weren't taken care of to begin with.

Yes, any flu or sickness can kill you. That is a dumb question. People have already died from it. Thousands die every year from the regular flu. People die from strep throat, pneumonia and bronchitis. Just google it, you will see it. This one is just affecting younger people more than older ones.

http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/

if you really want the info...

Yes, it can kill, so can the regular flu, a paper cut on your finger, ... it all depends on how well your body can handle the disease. You might have it and not even know it. Some just get one or two cold like symptoms others get more all the way up to full blown need ICU care flu. If you already have health problems especially respiratory problems, it might be wise to get the shot as people who have trouble breathing seem to be more affected by the swine flu than others.

The problem with the swine flu vaccine is that it has not been completely tested yet. It is deemed safe but has not been run through all the necessary tests. If it is already available in some areas, you should be aware of that. I think they are done with testing in October. There seem to be health care workers who are very wary of the vaccine just because of the speed with which is was developed and made available. They also see that the flu doesn't seem to be as deadly as it originally looked when it was just in Mexico.

The fear is that the string is changing (which it already has) and will be more violent later in the game. There are many unknowns.

Should you get the vaccine? That's a decision you should make after you have read all the available information and know your risks. It's already going through the schools in our area. The schools will stay open and try as they might, there will be sick kids attending the schools because the parents can't take the time off to care for the child. It's bound to spread. By October a lot of us might very well have dealt with it already, some of us might not even know (be just a carrier without symptoms or just think it's a cold or sinus infection).

I think right now you just have to wait and see how it develops. Be watchful and extra clean. Stay away from sick people, if you can. Know what to watch out for, how to treat this at home and when to see the doctor or go to the hospital. With kids in school and other activities I have been following this closely. As of now, I will not be the first in line for the vaccine. That is a personal decision you will have to make for yourself.

What I want to know is, how threatening is the Swine Flu? Can it really cause death? I have many, many questions and don't know whether we should take the shot or not. Can anyone with any knowledge of this flu advise me?

Posted by nicholsby2 about 1 hour ago

I specifically asked about the swine flue vaccine and was told that it would be available 9/1 on a first come first served basis. Didn't mean to start a debate, just sharing info I thought, key word here is thought, would be appreciated.

Thanks you for sharing the information you received. It does pay to call ahead to find out about specific inoculations available at the health department. We ALL know how accurate information from the web is.

Call and find out if your area has the H1N1 vaccine yet. Don't forget to get the 'regular' seasonal flu shot, too.

I specifically asked about the swine flue vaccine and was told that it would be available 9/1 on a first come first served basis. Didn't mean to start a debate, just sharing info I thought, key word here is thought, would be appreciated.

The regular flu shot's just one shot.

I've gotten those every year since college. I've only had the true flu one time. I was out of school for about a week and it took pretty much everything I had just to get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

I've gotten the flu shot every year since then.

I still think the hype over H1N1 is far worse than H1N1 itself.

Please know, too, that one of the earliest signs of flu is a 'spiked' temperature. It is very important to know your and your child's normal body temp. If the normal body temp for you or your child is 97.6, like my kids, then if you have a 99 degree temperature, you have a fever.

That's the regular flu shot. Swine flu shots won't be available until October. Most likely you'll already have been exposed to the swine flu virus by then. There seem to be quite a few cases in the county already to the point that the health department is not testing for it anymore.