oink oink!

As the swine flu vaccinations begin to arrive, the seasonal flu vaccines are becoming scarce. Because the companies that usually manufacture the seasonal flu vaccines have switched to making swine flu vaccines. Now of course this is great, the swine flu vaccine has arrived in several states, but the amount is so minimal that states are limiting it to health care providers and pregnant women.

Schools are getting emptied out by the bucket load. The Obama administration has requested that schools stay open except for three reasons. One, most of the kids affected are special needs. Two, large numbers of kids and staff are absent or sick. And three, Kids are still coming to school when they are sick causing the bug to travel faster. However, this does not make the number of kids out any fewer. Some schools are already up to 20 percent absent due to H1N1 and some rates are much higher. Teachers are concerned about the flu spreading, but don't want to interrupt their lesson plans. Students however, will take any days off they can get, but I believe they are still cautious about having to make them up in the summer time.

Health advisors are saying to stay home if you are feeling a little under the weather at all. They are trying to keep the spreading of H1N1 to a minimum. Some symptoms of swine flu include a fever of 100.4F or higher and two or more of the following-

• unusual tiredness,
• headache,
• runny nose,
• sore throat,
• shortness of breath or cough,
• loss of appetite,
• aching muscles,
• diarrhoea or vomiting.

Most cases of Swine flu have been mild, although it is the serious cases that have health officials worried.

I am even getting surprised at how quickly it has spread. It doesn't even seem like it is supposed to be where I live. I remember before it even got here and I was thinking it would really only be in the big cities and states. I was wrong. It has spread all over and almost every state is affected by it.