World Health Organization says swine flu has reached pandemic status

The World Health Organization held an emergency meeting and has declared the current swine flu outbreak a pandemic, meaning it is intensifying in at least two global regions, with an incresing number of cases being found in Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and Chile, according to a BBC report. The swine flu has now spread to 74 countries. It's the first time in 40 years that the WHO has declared a global flu pandemic. The last one was in the late 1960s, when the Hong Kong flu killed more than 1 million people. Experts are reassuring that this outbreak currently appears to be more moderate than the last outbreak with many people reporting milder symptoms. They'll be monitoring the virus to see if it mutates in the autumn and winter to produce more serious effects. The pandemic status issued by WHO today will likely speed the production of flu vaccine and efforts to get people vaccinated before the fourth quarter of 2009. So wash your hands, get your flu shot and stay tuned. I think the preventive actions taken in various countries - closing schools and limiting gatherings where there are outbreaks -- has helped to curb the spread in some regions. At Rutgers University's graduation ceremonies, the deans dispensed with the traditional handshakes when graduates received their certificates to avoid spreading germs. Small measures add up!