How can we avoid a swine flu pandemic?

The UN's World Health Organization has raised the alert over swine flu from level four to level five - a strong signal a pandemic is imminent. Are you taking more precautions?

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Your comments:

Swine flu seems mild to normal healthy people but what will it do to the vulnerable who depend on vaccination for their survival? The combination of a much higher percentage of the population being infected and no protection for the vulnerable could cause an extra half a million deaths in this country. A cavalier attitude to this possibility seems more than selfish.
Alex G, Maidenhead, England

The simple truth is like many other things in life - we can't. It's coming, so stop running around like headless chickens wishing it away; grow a bit of backbone, take your chances and face up to it.
Stevie, Paisley, UK

Almost everyone I know is confused and/or worried about swine flu. I have a friend who gets extremely worried if she so much as puts her hand near her mouth after the recent advert. I don't know if this is the way forward or not though. I think that there is no point in getting worked up about it because that won't help. The government needs to tell people exactly what they are planning on doing as I am rather confused. The advert has helped and so when the leaflets come round it will make people more aware. We need to work as a country and a nation to work out this crisis.
Sophie, Lancashire, England

Taking precautions wisely is always essential in such serious situations when cholera, bird flu, or swine flu break out. But on knowing the UN's WHO's danger signal level of five for a pandemic should not cause panic in people because too much panic can cause people to commit more fatal follies. The world humans would be safe soon as they had been several times in the past when 'bird flu' or cholera broke out.
A.R.Shams, Pakistan

The so called "swine flu" does not exist, as scientists claim it has mutated and "evolved", which implies evolution, and evolution does not exist. Therefore, this must be the will of God, and nothing can stop that.
RS Diaz, New York

The government says its going to draw a ring around an outbreak to contain it, but what about people who have come into contact with an infected person then travel on a bus or train across the country? Surely that is going to spread swine flu. Why are we not restricting travel?
Kirk, Sheffield

I just cannot believe travel was not restricted when the death toll in Mexico hit 50. For the WHO / government to say quarantine is worth time or money is just plain stupid. If this was a more deadly disease most of the world would be dead in a week. Anti-virals are fine, but instead of only giving them to people in an area where one person has a confirmed case, quarantine people at the airports and ports and give them anti-virals. Let's not forget we are an island. One of nature's little benefits.
Eric Fox, Basildon

This swine flu is a good opportunity to educate our many ignorant adults who, despite their many years of life experience, still spread their contagious flu and cold in public in the most despicable way. "Catch it, bin it, kill it" is a simple great idea. Why didn't our schools teach it to our youngsters?
Edwina Lee, High Wycombe, UK

Should those returning from Mexico be advised to make minimum contact with other people for say a week?
Alex Goodlet

I work in the NHS and this week we were issued with steps to follow. It's really common sense, if you suspect anyone has been in contact with the swine flu then stay at home, phone the GP/NHS Direct and they will advise you. Wash hands, use tissues to sneeze into and dispose of them quickly and safely. Clean things like worktops door knobs etc. with normal household cleaner, check out your local PCTs website for more info and just don't panic!
Su, Manchester

For goodness sake will you people stop making something out of nothing? How many people die from flu every year? If it did not have a name it would not have even get a mention. You need to stop headlining and starting a panic over a triviality. You are trying to keep a number of over paid correspondents in jobs!
Tony, Maesteg, Wales

What I don't understand is why travel to and from Mexico has not been stopped? We are being told that there is no point in doing so, but surely it makes sense to stop travel from the source of the outbreak. It's common sense. It seems to me that money and the economy has a bigger say in this than any other factor. Does money really come before the health of potentially millions of people?
Jon, Spain

'How can we avoid a swine flu pandemic?' By concentrating the need for animal and human hygiene in those countries that consistently cause such problems - especially where aid is concerned. The UK should try not to deal with such places economically and the EU should do the same. The risk is too great.
Absolute_Rethink, Ashby, UK

We are being told to sneeze and cough into tissues - what about spitting? It was made illegal to spit when TB was about. Why not re-introduce that law - and get sports people (footballers) to stop and tell their fans why they no longer spit?! Perhaps it may make a difference.
Sally Impey, London

Very concerned about some children and families, whilst appearing to be clean, don't have good habits of hand washing and regular hygiene. They never get seriously ill which perpetuates and justifies their habits. I don't think they realise they are protected by the rest of us who do wash.
Gary, Newport , Wales

I think many doctors in the world are now interested to know: were their patients in Mexico who had swine flu, were they treated with Tamiflu, and why they still died.
Alexandra Ponomareva, St. Petersburg, Russia

My daughter has suffered from anorexia for ten years. Since being suicidal last year the one thing that has kept her going is her marriage next month in Mexico. Due to all our hard work, by us her parents, her loving fiancé and her GP, she has made an amazing recovery. The media is about to shatter her dream. With only seven confirmed deaths in Mexico City the whole world has gone crazy and her dreams are shattered. Will someone please report on the actual facts and not send us all into an unnecessary frenzy?
Shirley Sepkes, Sanderstead, England

I'm more scared by the insane hysteria from the media - they're loving helping to cause panic, just like they cause panic in everything else.
David, Lancashire

People are over-reacting. I see vain girls running around with masks on screaming "I don't want to die!" Considering the only people who have died from it are Mexican. Masks don't work and anyway they are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, what with them being warm and moist from your breath. And people refusing to eat pork because of it; it's only human to human - they are just being silly. In my opinion it's being blow out of proportion. We are more likely to be hit by a bus than die of swine flu.
Drea, UK

Every year, several thousands of people die from the flu. How is this version different, except that it originated in swine/pigs? The real problem facing mankind is how to combat over time viruses and diseases that constantly mutate, such as the cold and flu virus.
Mark Bennett, Russellville, KY USA

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