DoD Issues H1N1 Warning

Week of May 11, 2009

Senior military health officials are warning against taking antiviral medicines to fight the H1N1 ("swine") flu virus until a doctor confirmed the diagnosis. Most patients treated at military medical treatment facilities for flu-like symptoms do not actually have the H1N1 or any other kind of flu virus, say officials. Taking the flu medicine without having the virus causes several problems including the possibility of making the symptoms get worse. Also, all drugs have potential side effects. Military doctors report that the H1N1 virus is relatively mild and has very little impact on young, healthy troops who make up most of the military.