Americans believe swine flu's coming back

Americans expect swine flu to return in the fall, particularly if they are parents, a Harvard survey shows.

A little over half of Americans think it is likely that the flu known as H1N1 will be widespread in the coming flu season, with almost two thirds of parents saying so, according to a national poll conducted four weeks ago and released today by the Harvard School of Public Health.

Most of the parents said school closings to slow the spread of swine flu, a common practice in the hard-hit Northeast, would cause hardship. Half said someone in their household would have to miss work if schools or day-care centers shut in the fall or winter. A little more than 4 in 10 said they would lose pay or income if they had to stay home to care for their children. Of these parents, a quarter feared they would lose their jobs, with higher proportions of African-Americans and Hispanic parents reporting this concern.

Among all the people polled, about a quarter said there had been swine flu cases in their community. More than half said they aren't worried that they or family members will get sick, the same as when a similar poll was done in early May.

Even so, many are taking public-health precautions to heart. Nearly two-thirds said they or someone in their household had been washing their hands more frequently since the outbreak began in April.