Who should get the vaccine?
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends swine flu vaccination for pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months old, health care workers, young people ages 6 months to 24 years and people 25 to 64 with chronic medical conditions or weakened immunity. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has urged health workers and people who care for infants to get vaccinated, because they so often come in contact with those who are most vulnerable to severe flu complications.

“The best way to protect babies is to protect those who come in close contact with them,” she says.

Seasonal vaccine is recommended for infants and young people 6 months to 19 years old; people caring for infants up to 6 months old; pregnant women, people 50 and older, people with chronic disease, health care workers and others who want to reduce their risk of getting sick.

What can I do to prepare?
Prepare for the unexpected, says Nancy Cox, director of the CDC’s flu division. “With influenza, that’s essential.”

Pay attention to public health advice on school closures and to what extent it makes sense to avoid public gatherings. Because most flu cases have been mild, public health authorities are trying to avoid the social and economic disruptions that come from trying to bar public gatherings.

Get a week’s worth of food, fluids, tissues, antibacterial hand sanitizers and other household items.

Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizers, and always cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

What are the warning signs of severe flu illness?
In children, they’re fast or troubled breathing; gray or bluish skin color; not drinking enough fluids; vomiting; not waking up or interacting with others; being irritable and not wanting to be held; flu symptoms improve, then come back with fever and cough.

In adults, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen; sudden dizziness; confusion; severe or persistent vomiting; flu like symptoms that abate and then return with fever and a worse cough.

What about treatment?
Prescription antiviral drugs can stop the virus from replicating in the body and shorten the length of the illness. The CDC has advised people to get treated promptly if they’re in certain high-risk groups: children younger than 5 years old, adults 65 years and older, pregnant women, people with certain chronic medical or immunosuppressive conditions.

Keep your immune system healthy by eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, taking natural herbs and supplements, drink plenty of fresh water, get plenty of rest to aid in this .

When should I stay home, deal with an illness and not seek medical help?
If you’re otherwise healthy, don’t have a high fever and are not suffering from any respiratory symptoms, public health experts recommend staying home, taking fever-reducing medicine, getting lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids.If you fall into a treatment group, it’s worth checking with your doctor in advance, CDC says, because some doctors may become overwhelmed with patients and may establish a routine for prescribing antivirals over the phone