Just three weeks into flu season, officials say the H1N1 flu has become widespread in 46 of the 50 U.S. states, a level comparable to the peak of ordinary flu seasons, which usually occurs sometime between late November and early March. Children and young adults seem most vulnerable to the virus, opposed to seasonal [...]

Saturday President Obama declared the H1N1 flu, also known as the swine flu, a national emergency. The move allows Kathleen Sebelius, the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary to quicken the regulatory process for health providers if they are besieged with cases of the swine flu, by waiving certain regulations.

Tis the season—flu season, that is—and because of the emergence of the H1N1virus, this season has the potential to be worse than usual, with many more people getting sick, being hospitalized and dying than during a regular flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is already reporting geographically widespread flu activity [...]