Swine flu hosts may be party poopers

People are  being advised not to throw “swine flu parties” as such behaviour may undermine the fight against the flu.

Reports are emerging of people mixing with friends who have flu, believing it best to be infected before the winter months when the virus could become more deadly.

Chairman of the public health committee for the BMA in Northern Ireland, Dr Colin Hamilton said: “I have heard of reports of people throwing swine flu parties and I don’t think it is a good idea. I would not want it myself.

“I must stress that while the H1N1 virus is currently a mild flu, parents would still be putting their health and the health of their children at risk. People will still get ill and there is a risk of mortality”.

“The virus has only been known for two months and is still an unknown quantity. Our advice remains that people should avoid contracting it as much as possible until vaccines are produced.

“The idea of having a flu party is the complete opposite to this advice. Apparently healthy young people have died in Mexico and the USA from this virus and many children may have conditions unknown to their parents, which would make them especially vulnerable”.