Any type of flu virus ‘can be dangerous for a pregnant woman, but swine flu appears to be especially threatening.’ It was discovered and ascertained that pregnant women are vulnerable to swine flu. The illness can be especially dangerous ‘in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, both for mother and baby.’ That is why pregnant women are on the priority list of those who would avail of the up and coming swine flu vaccine the earliest.

Young people or children and college youth also get priority. Elderly people will not belong to those who should be first in line for the swine flu vaccine shots this fall season, which is the estimated start of the next flu season where another flu outbreak is anticipated to happen. ‘Senior citizens will also have to wait behind 19 to 24 year olds, who often get sick in large numbers at college, but don’t tend to get deathly ill.’

More specifically, priority goes to pregnant women, ‘those who care for infants under six months of age, health care and EMS workers, children and teenagers between ages 6 months and 18 years old, and anyone under the age of 64 underlying medical conditions.’

The priority groups comprise nearly 50 percent of U.S. population.

The latest statistics reveal that more than 43,700 cases of swine flu have already been confirmed in the U.S., 50 percent of which are people between the ages of 5 and 24.

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Via abc news

It is not enough that a smoker smokes away from babies or pregnant women. Smoking in enclosed spaces does a lot of harm, too. It seems that cigarette smoke truly reeks of poison that there are also risks with the toxic particulate matter found in cigarette smoke that has touched fabrics or hair. Most people have already heard of ‘second-hand smoke’ by now, but very few households are aware of ‘third-hand smoke.’ For smokers, there’s the great outdoors waiting for smoking that does not bear too heavily on the conscience.

Some of the risks mentioned with third-hand smoke involve the susceptibility of children when they inhale or lick the toxic particles in cigarette smoke that remained on clothing or hair. Not a small matter really because this exposure is connected to learning disabilities in children. Pregnant women are also at risk with this kind of smoke because the poison that they inhale can be transferred to their unborn child.

Parents who smoke outside of the house still run the risk of having tobacco contaminants at home than if they did not smoke at all. Children are still bound to inhale these contaminants in one way or another. According to researchers, children are susceptible to ‘third-hand smoke’ because they are in close physical contact with smoking adults in their home, and that they breathe more frequently.

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Via BBC