Take a deep breath!!!

[SammEC]

After becoming VERY anxious over the flu virus attacking me and my family, I have had to get a grip, it was literally taking over my life. I have done EXTENSIVE studies on the flu topic and have come to this conclusion.

EVERYONE is different, some people are getting confirmed swine flu and having mild symptoms and some are very poorley indeed. You just have to be sensible, if you are suffering and are worried - contact your GP. If you can get the vaccine - have it, it can only help to lessen the symptoms - at least you have done everything you can. Keep clean, and use hand gel regularly and if you can, whilst this is at a peak, try not to go to public places if you can help it. There is nothing more that you can do.

I agree that we should be sensible and follow the precautions that were laid out for us last year. I think people are maybe obsessing a bit over this vaccine - whether or not to get it or if they can/can't get it. There is no way of knowing whether a vaccine lessens symptoms - you may have a mild case with or without the vaccine. It may prevent you from catching it but no vaccine is 100% effective. If you feel reassured by getting it then by all means do but don't panic if you can't! chances are many of us are probably immune to it already because it's been circulating for over 18 months now and not everyone will get flu symptoms.

Had I known know how bad I would be with swine flu, I would have had the vaccine. I am otherwise healthy, and have had flu twice before in my life - but this was particularly nasty for me - not sure why. I had symptoms much worse than anyone else in the family. You just never know, do you?

My family have all had a flu like thing. Not sure if Swine but each of us had it at different levels of intensity, from really mild (20mths old) to like something off the set of The Exorist - vomiting, high temp and bad nose bleeds. I am hoping it was Swine flu so we can stop worrying but the fact that some of us had it mildly makes me doubt it.

dros, some people do have it mildly - 1/3 of cases are completely asymptomatic ie. no symptoms at all! Hopefully that was it for all of you :)

We all had it last year and hardly realised. I was the sickest and had a week of work, but it wasn't as half as bad as the flu I had 10 years ago which damn nearly flattened me! DH got it, but coped okay and ds2 was just a bit unwell for a couple of days.

This year I've started to worry about the flu again so have bought ds2 some Echinacea, manuka honey and a top quality childrens multivitamin - his diet is good, it's just to make sure really. Enough sleep is also vital for the immune system and so is avoiding too much stress. Garlic is very good as an antiviral if you can get them to swallow the capsules. You'd have to eat it every day if you're just relying on taking it via food.