What's the deal?
Historically, government has never ever been concerned about the peoples well being in any way. They've experimented with chemical weapons in our subways, tested Atomic weapons on our soldiers, and psychedelic drugs on innocent people without their consent etc....
So what's behind the sudden concern for everyone? They seem to be worried to death about us getting sick for a few days?
I think the issue is that it's a pandemia.
And at first, at the outbreak in Mexico, the scientists feared that the Swine flu could be as deadly as the Bird flu (you still remember the panic about that one a few years ago?).
Bird flu fortunately hasn't broke out yet.
But it's still considered a very real threat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H5N1The Swine flu isn't as lethal, but I guess the macro economic costs could be pretty severe if 40-50 % of the total population in the Western world gets it at some time or another.
Not to mention that regular flu typically is most severe with sick and old people.
Swine flu - it's actually most severe with young (and working) people.
That's (my) short version answer.
You could probably get better answers elsewhere.
