It is important to know about the viruses and where they are currently circulating. All of the United States has “wide-spread” outbreaks according to the CDC web site. They have an excellent site for Flu Activity and Surveillance.

Another issue worth monitoring is the vaccine availability in your area. Swine Flu 911 is providing relevant information as much as possible, but it is also good to check directly with your own state’s web site. In addition, you can check with your doctor to make sure you are on an appropriate wait list if you would like to be vaccinated.

In addition to keeping informed, keep communication channels open with your children to help them digest flu facts and rumors to help alleviate panic and answer questions. Flu.gov has a section devoted to Talking to Your Children about The Flu.

In addition, The National Association of School Physiologists (NASP) has partnered with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA) to develop and disseminate a handout for parents on talking to their children about the flu virus. “Talking to Children About the Flu (Novel H1N1): A Parent Resource” is available to parents and educators to be copied and distributed without specific permission. You can also listen to this handout as a podcast, read the Spanish handout, or listen to the Spanish version. All links for these resources can be found at Nasponline.org/resources/swineflu.aspx.

Whether or not you choose to vaccinate your family, another set of information to consider covers natural cold and flu prevention and remedies. A relatively new site focused on these areas is Yeahtips.com. Here are some recent related articles:

Natural Cold and Flu Prevention and Remedies

Do it Yourself Flu Prevention

Stay tuned at Swine Flu 911 for more breaking news and information. We are here to help you stay informed and healthy.