These issues go in cycles. The media will pick up a story, and every outlet will echo the same basic facts, or fictions. Then comes a great hair-on-fire cry and relization that 'something must be done'. A cry to 'do something', for government to 'do something', for the powers that be to 'do something'.

Then the second wave, a tidal surge of hair-pulling tirades analyzing why 'the people in charge' are not 'doing something. Followed by an extensive commentary about how they are doing 'the wrong thing', and then, just as it starts to fade away, there will be the third wave of 'I told-you-so' where what was done is shown to be useless and, anyway, government/the people in charge, can never get anything right.

And, in the end,inevitably ,each person's favorite people to blame will get blamed for the whole situation.

Simple fact is that H1N1, swine flu, bird flu, West Nile virus are all still out there. Get vaccinated early and often. No, vaccines are not perfect. But until something better comes along they are the best tool we have. Most county health departments will get you vaccinate against a whole host of diseases for cheap. Don't forget to keep your tetanus, and other standards, current.