Swine Flu

Swine flu is a respiratory disease and has some elements of a virus found in pigs. There is no evidence of this disease circulating in pigs in the UK and scientists are investigating its origins. 

Swine flu has been confirmed in a number of countries worldwide and it is spreading from human to human, which has led to the World Health Organisation declaring it a global flu pandemic. Pandemic flu is different from ordinary flu because it’s a new flu virus that appears in humans and spreads very quickly from person to person worldwide. Because it’s a new virus, no one will have immunity to it and everyone could be at risk of catching it. This includes healthy adults as well as older people, young children and those with existing medical conditions.

There is a great deal of available advice on swine flu and how to prepare for it. There are national plans in place to deal with a pandemic and advice has been published by the government. All households should have received an information leaflet (which is available to download below) about pandemic flu and how to prevent its spread.  

WHAT HAVE THE UK GOVERNMENTS BEEN DOING TO PREPARE?