@gamehawk @clacke I did see that 68 children died of flu (mostly H1N1) in the US so far this season, but I don't know whether that's above or below normal. (That was on the CDC site a couple of weeks ago.)

As for the question "What determines whether people will freak out or not?", I imagine it is the way that it is portrayed in the news and by the nation's leaders. And how long it has been since the last "this virus will kill us all" scare.

I know that my youngest grandson's doctor said that as long as the child is not going places where he will be exposed, he recommends not getting the flu shot for 2 years and under. (Sadly, the doc's opinion has greater weight than grandpa's, so "take that baby in and get him a flu shot" was ignored.)