The H1N1 virus is no longer headline news. Governments are holding a surplus of vaccines as people are no longer interested in getting vaccinated as confirmed cases of the virus have plummeted. Hospitals are lifting their stringent H1N1 restrictions and the temporary clinics are being dismantled.
According to the CDC, 20% of the population in the US has taken some form of H1N1 vaccine and an estimated 55 million people were affected by the swine flu since April 2009. The Associated Press puts the number of H1N1 related deaths to 11,160 to date.
We are now at the tail end of the second wave which began in the fall. Experts and governments are warning that a third and final wave is imminent. It may not have the same impact as the previous one, as the population that is vulnerable has more or less been vaccinated and will form some resistance.
What is definite is that the pandemic is waning and was not as bad as forecasted. The virus will probably subside over the next few months of winter and come back in winter this time next year as part of the seasonal viruses.
Health authorities are are urging non-vaccinated people to get vaccinated, as the benefits of being vaccinated far outweigh the risks, especially as we may still get a final wave before spring. There is no excuse for people to become complacent, especially since the vaccines are free and available just about everywhere.
Another wave of the H1N1 virus is a sure thing, and don't get caught in the line ups when there is a scramble for the vaccine.