Why are people making such a big deal about influenza A H1N1 (swine flu)?
This new kind of flu is worrying doctors and health officials for a few reasons: • It spreads easily and from person to person, across the world. • People’s immune systems (natural defenses) are not good at fighting influenza H1N1, because it’s a new kind of flu. • The regular seasonal flu vaccine (flu shot) does not protect against this new kind of flu. • This flu has killed young healthy people, which is unusual. Normal seasonal flu usually kills people who are weak or old. There is a chance that this Influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) will spread to millions of people around the world, becoming a flu pandemic.
