Before you start panicking about the Aporkalypse...

via Freakonomics:

You may be relieved to know that the last time a great swine flu epidemic was predicted it didn’t materialize. In 1976, the U.S. government predicted that 1 million Americans would die from a swine flu epidemic — but only one did.

What I figure is that it never hurts to have that emergency kit at home. Then again I was a Boy Scout - Always be prepared! (That might have been cub scouts - I forget, and it's too late to go look it up on the net).

PS Something I didn't know... from Instapundit: "Hand sanitizers work but they need to be at least 60% alcohol, and you need to use a substantial amount. “If your hands are dry within 10 or 15 seconds, according to the C.D.C. guidelines for health care workers, you haven’t used enough.” And washing (thoroughly) is still better if you can; sanitizers are for when you can’t."