Vaccine

• The vaccine gives you the flu. The vaccine is actually from a "disease-free" flu version. Even healthy people should be vaccinated to help prevent flu from spreading. Not everyone carrying flu has symptoms.
  
  

Protection

• Some believe the vaccine is enough to fight the flu. In fact, you should eat healthily, avoid contact with sick people and wash your hands frequently.
  
  

Colds vs. Flu

• Many believe that the flu is just a bad cold. Actually, colds do not prostrate the patient for two or more weeks, nor do they generally cause death. Flu can.
  
  

Treatment

• The adage "feed a cold, starve a fever" is bogus. Those with flu need to eat and drink fluids. Soups and sports drinks or vitamin drinks are easy for those with appetite loss. Antibiotics don't work against the flu, but you can take anti-virals within 48 hours of exposure.
  
  

Catching Flu

• Many believe that cold, damp environments cause the flu. The only way to catch flu is through contagion.
  
  

Swine Flu

• No fever does not mean no swine flu. Swine flu breaks the rules, taking the fit and healthy, not just those weakened beforehand. It may also mutate into something even more devastating.