As swine flu dissipates across the country, with only three
states reporting regional influenza activity according to the
last FluView report from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), many hospitals and medical facilities have
relaxed the stringent visitation policies that they put in place
last fall. Looking forward, a Federal Drug Administration (FDA)
panel decided on Monday to include the H1N1 virus in the
cocktail for the next seasonal flu vaccine. This will eliminate
the need to receive two vaccines, as was the case this year. The
new vaccine will be a one-stop shop for immunity against both
seasonal and H1N1 influenza, also reducing production burden on
manufacturers. The media is still reporting the potential for a
third wave of infection this spring. H1N1, or swine flu, may
have waned but could reemerge as reported in an article in the
Washington Post on Tuesday. The CDC is currently trying to
determine what fraction of schoolchildren are now immune against
the virus. A CNN article pu