H1N1, Pandemic or News Story?

So the top of the news list recently has been H1N1 and the way governments around the world are handling it (or mishandling it if you talk to certain people). I have an issue with the way this story is being portrayed and how misinformed people are about this "evil flu".

In 1976/77 a swine flu spread across the US and the world. People feared it was the same flu that caused world wide chaos and death in 1918 so they began to panic and called on the government to do something. They quickly released a vaccine for this flu and it turned out the vaccine killed more people than the actual flu did. Many to this day still believe it was more a political problem than an actual pandemic.

Now flash forward to the current situation, the media is hyping about how bad this flu is, how it is spreading world wide at unprecedented speed and how with out a vaccine the death toll will be massive. The WHO called it a pandemic before it ever left Mexico, the world has seen deaths in the hundreds (yes that is correct hundreds, not thousands, not millions but hundreds). Most people that get H1N1 get a runny nose, high fever, cough, sneeze and feel dead to the world for a few days up to two weeks (wow that sounds like how I feel when I get any flu). So what makes this flu so much different than any other flu strain that is floating around? I really don't know, I'm not a doctor or a scientist but the only difference I have seen is that it is giving the media tons to report on and the government's of the world something to fight over.

Now that fall is here and "Flu Season" is right around the corner what will happen? We will see death's from H1N1, we will see death's from other flu strains but the world will continue to survive and the government's will continue to fight, and the media will continue to blow things out of proportion in the name of ratings and sponsorship dollars. My advice to you is quite simple, ignore the hype, ignore the media, tell the government to get back to working on real issues and if you happen to get the flu, take something for it and if it seems to be getting worse go see your doctor and get him to give you something to help you out with the fever and the pain.
I personally will not be worried about dropping dead from any form of the flu but I will stock up on Nyquil cold and flu and will take to bed rest if I do get sick.