What do I do about the flu?

This question is on the lips of millions of people every winter. Recently the news media has literally been full of predictions of a possible coming pandemic. The Department of Health and Human Services is developing a comprehensive plan, including a request for several billion dollars, to prepare for this event.

Officials are especially concerned with a virulent strain of avian flu in Asia. There is evidence that the virus may be mutating into a form that can be transmitted human to human.

The response of the government has been to contract with pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines for the new types of flu virus and to stockpile antiviral medicines that may help with controlling symptoms and reduce spreading the virus. Unfortunately there are multiple types of flu virus that quickly mutate. It is like playing Russian roulette deciding which vaccine to develop and stockpile.

Remember, the world has gone through pandemics before