Swine Flu Party

Have plans this weekend?

Thinking of going to a Swine Flu Party?

You might want to rethink that.

Cancel plans for that "swine flu party": a top US health official says deliberately trying to get infected with the A(H1N1) flu virus as protection against a future more virulent strain is a bad idea.

Having "swine flu party" is "a big mistake," said Richard Besser, the acting head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"This is a new, emerging infection, and we're learning more about it each day," Besser said.

..."It's a big mistake putting individuals and children at risk, and the CDC does not recommend that people follow that course," he said.

The idea, which reportedly first surfaced on speciality Internet sites, comes from "chickenpox parties," where sick children infect healthy ones with the chickenpox virus.

Parents who do this usually oppose vaccinating their children, or want them to have stronger immunity against more virulent strains.

US health officials fear that the unpredictable and potentially deadly A(H1N1) flu virus could mutate and appear as a more virulent, drug-resistant strain later in the year.

Two points:

1. I think rather than intentionally exposing yourself to the swine flu now it's much smarter and safer to wait for the vaccine.

2. I don't want to hear about the potential for the virus to mutate and resurface to kill millions of people.

If this virus is so unpredictable, who's to say it won't fizzle out and not make a deadly return?

Health officials seem to be trying to create fear.

Maybe they're a little sensitive about the "deadly" flu not be the emergency they made it out to be this time. I'm glad people aren't seriously ill and dying from the virus. It's good the officials were wrong. They should be glad they were wrong.

I know it's important to remain vigilant. Health officials should get to work on producing plenty of vaccine rather than trying to keep people in a state of panic.

People should relax. Anxiety makes one more susceptible to colds and flu. Health officials shouldn't be saying things that are likely to cause stress and weaken people's immune systems.

Bottom line: It's a big mistake to go to a swine flu party. It's a big mistake for health officials to needlessly scare people.