How is pandemic flu different from the seasonal flu we see every year?
In cases of seasonal or annual flu, unlike pandemic flu, our bodies have some protection against the types of flu that go around each year. This is because our bodies have been exposed to these common flu strains before and have had time to develop some protection against them. This protection is also improved by the flu shots we get every year to keep us from getting sick. But that doesn’t mean that the annual flu is not a serious health threat. Each year, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. have to go to the hospital because of the flu, and 36,000 people die from it. However, a pandemic flu outbreak could send millions to the hospital and kill hundreds of thousands, as our bodies have not had the time to develop protection against it. Because it takes over 6 months to make a new flu shot, there would be no flu shot right away to protect us from this new type of flu virus. The annual flu is also more likely during cold weather; people typically get it October to May. However, pandemi
