The Flu

If you haven't heard all the flu news going around, excuse my pun, then you must live in a hole. If you turn on the news or read the paper you'll see vast amounts of information on the seasonal flu, H1N1 (otherwise known as "swine flu") and even the avian flu. You're probably asking yourself, "what's the difference between the three?" and "should I get the flu shot?" Personally, I think everyone should get it, especially if you work in a public place. However, that is your own decision to make. You should do the research and the library is the perfect place to start.

I've got a list of links and database pages for you to go through. Don't be afraid to click around. You'll only learn more and be more informed before you go get that shot. Or don't go get that shot.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention page dedicated to all things flu.

The government's website on the flu, seasonal, avian and H1N1: flu.gov.

The Austin Public Library's health and medical databases. Click on the [more] links next to each database to learn more about those databases. You will find a plethora of information in those databases.

If you're in Texas, look around our Department of State Health Services site for flu info.

Google Health has a nice page set up for all the flu information you need.

If you want a little history and background information and you don't have access to a computer, check out some books on the topic. Below are just a few of the many available at the Austin Public Library. Check our catalog for more!

Dread: How Fear and Fantasy have Fueled Epidemics from the Black Death to Avian Flu by Philip Alcabes

A Cruel Wind: Pandemic Flu in America, 1918-1920 by Dorothy Ann Pettit

The Great Bird Flu Hoax: the Truth they don't want you to know about the "Next Big Pandemic" by Joseph Mercola

And, finally, if all of this just completely overwhelms you, pick up the phone and dial 2-1-1. Choose a language and press 6 for all your flu answers!