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The second wave of the swine flu pandemic is now under way in the northern hemisphere. Case numbers are climbing fast and in some places vaccination has begun.

So what’s the big deal? The virus hasn’t evolved into the monster that some feared and most cases are mild. Were all those pandemic warnings just ?

The Butcher family of Southampton, UK, wouldn’t say so. In August, their daughter , 18, became sick and short of breath after returning from a holiday. Two weeks later, she died in hospital.

Neither would the Parker family of Baltimore, Maryland. In September, their healthy 14-year-old daughter Destinée started having trouble breathing within minutes of arriving at school. She was rushed to hospital. A week later she was dead.

There has been complacency-mongering, too. This pandemic is very far from the worst-case scenario, but it is not normal flu either. Many more people than usual will catch flu this year. The vast majority will be fine but some of us, including young, otherwise healthy people, will die. You can help protect yourself and your family by learning , from how to spot a serious case to the facts about the vaccines.

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Myth: This is just mild flu. The death rates are even lower than for normal flu

Myth: You’re safe as long as you’re healthy. Only sick, weak people get really ill

Myth: The symptoms are like regular flu. You’ve got it if you’ve got a fever

Myth: I’ll be OK if I just eat organic food, take vitamins, wear a mask, wash my hands a lot and drink plenty of fluids

Myth: It’s OK now because we have a vaccine. In fact, we have several

Myth: The vaccine isn’t safe – it has been rushed through tests and the last time there was a swine flu scare the vaccine hurt people. Why take the risk to prevent mild flu?

Myth: This virus won’t get deadlier – that isn’t in a germ’s interests

Myth: Once this pandemic is over we’ll be safe for another few decades