This Article is From Aug 08, 2009

5,500 swine flu cases in US

New York:

As kids get ready to return to school, schools are getting ready for the return of the new H1N1 virus.

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, the swine flu is expected to rear its ugly head again in September.

Authorities hope to launch a mass vaccination program to curb the spread of swine flu and national health officials are feverishly overseeing the completion of a vaccine that will prevent infection.

However, despite the United States's wealth and technological advantages, a vaccine will not be ready until October.

Companies such as Baxter, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis are working over time to ready a swine flu vaccine.

Over 700 US schools were closed down during the initial outbreak of the N1H1 virus earlier this year. One does not expect to see the same in the fall as experts question the benefit of the closing schools now that the virus has already infected at least a million Americans.  For now, like the seasonal flu, students will be allowed back in school 24 hours after their fever has cleared and the final decisions about whether to close down schools will be left to the individual districts.

However, of course, these guidelines could change, if in the fall the N1H1  virus mutates or becomes more virulent.

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