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HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today unveiled several new resources on the federal government’s one-stop resource for flu information -- www.flu.gov.  The Web site now features a new H1N1 Flu Self-Evaluation guide for adults 18 and older along with a new Flu Myths and Facts section, which provides the public with the latest and most accurate information about the flu.“Flu.gov is a one-stop clearinghouse for the latest news about the flu,” said Secretary Sebelius.  “These new resources on flu.gov will help individuals get critical information on how to protect themselves and their families from the H1N1 virus. They will also help us to get accurate information out into the public realm so people know what the facts are about the flu.”

Children of any age with neurologic conditions are more likely to become very sick if they get the flu. Complications may vary and can include pneumonia and even death.Neurologic conditions can include:Disorders of the brain and spinal cordCerebral palsyEpilepsy (seizure disorders)StrokeIntellectual disabilityModerate to severe developmental delayMuscular dystrophySpinal cord injurySome children with neurologic conditions may have trouble with muscle function, lung function or difficulty coughing, swallowing, or clearing fluids from their airways. These problems can make flu symptoms worse.

Flu is most deadly for children with neurologic problems and disorders, an analysis of swine flu fatalities finds. The results come from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers who looked at childhood fatalities during the H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009, when there were five times the usual number of deaths. In all, 43 percent of the deaths occurred in children who had neurologic diseases, such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy, or developmental disorders.

In a report published in 2011, scientists pooled data from eight randomized studies of 24,000 children between the ages of 6 months and 7 years. They found that those who received the FluMist vaccine, a nasal spray made with live but weakened flu virus, had a significantly lower risk of acute ear infections compared with children who received a placebo. Among children who ultimately got the flu, those who had been vaccinated had a 40 percent reduction in ear infections compared with children who were given a placebo.

Parents are bombarded with stories about autism research. Headlines and somber-voiced announcers declare that new research has found that autism is linked to a smorgasbord of things: mom's age, dad's age, grandfather's age, living near freeways, living near farms, prenatal stress, premature birth, fertility treatments, obese mothers, flu during pregnancy, having babies too closely together, and so on. How do we make sense of this?

Influenza is a contagious, upper-respiratory disease caused by many different strains of influenza viruses. While many people use the imprecise term “flu” to describe 24- or 48-hour bouts of illness, real influenza can interfere with normal daily activities for as long as a week. Influenza is not a minor inconvenience. As many as 200,000 Americans are hospitalized because of it each year, and as many as 36,000 die of the disease or complications associated with it. Children under age 1, people 65 or older, and people suffering from underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of serious complications.