As they did last year.

And the year before that.

And the year before that.

Here’s how that number is derived and reported by the Centers for Disease Control:

“Using new and improved statistical models, CDC scientists estimate that an average of 36,000 people (up from 20,000 in previous estimates) die from influenza-related complications each year in the United States.”

– CDC Press Release from January 7, 2003

So, while we should definitely be alert to what is happening in Mexico, we need to balance the news reports against the fact that in a normal year, 100 people die from the flu EVERY DAY!

Isn’t it great that the main stream media have those legions of editors and fact checkers to provide us with perspective? It’s really terrible how one-sided and distorted bloggers are. Isn’t it great that we have such a careful and balanced main stream media? What would we do without the calm, balanced reporting of the television news shows?

Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Not quite time to panic yet…