The U.S government and the media have a reputation of blowing things out of proportion. They make can cause society to become fearful and afraid of the outside world. In 2009, the United States had a wide-spread pandemic of the Swine Flu or the H1N1. The H1N1 was a type of influenza that was different from a typical flu. When H1N1 hit the U.S, people made a big deal of it because the reaction it had on the government and media. On August 10, 2010 the World Health Organization (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee declared an end to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Now it is just considered a regular "seasonal influenza" virus (CDC.com).
             When the H1N1 hit the U.S. and people were diagnosed to have the swine flu many people panicked because there was no vaccine for it. It became a near pandemic because the U.S government declared swine flu to be a public health emergency and above that, The World Health Organization considered it a global emergency. People were afraid of people who were sick. Nobody wanted to catch or be around anyone who had the swine flu. In some cases, when a child showed symptoms of being sick, he or she would be sent home from school and any kids who had contact with the child were examined to see if they had flu-like symptoms.
             In some places, people were informed to wear masks over their noses and mouths so they wouldn't get sick. When someone was sick, because people usually do, they thought they had the swine flu and also the people around them. So when people got worry about it, the typical flu became more of a danger than it usually did. When media started doing news on the swine flu, it went through every channel life a wild fire (Cold&FluHealthCenter;). Most of the time when the news talked about the flu, they talked about who was more prone to receive the swine flu, which where young kids and elders.
             When analysis went out to the public, the numbers scared people and ...