WHO Director General Margaret Chan declared the phase 5 alert after consulting with flu experts from around the world. The decision could lead the global body to recommend additional measures to combat the outbreak, including for vaccine manufacturers to switch production from seasonal flu vaccines to a pandemic vaccine.

“All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans,” Chan told reporters in Geneva. “It really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic.”

A phase 5 alert means there is sustained transmission among people in at least two countries. Once the virus shows effective transmission in two different regions of the world, a full pandemic outbreak — phase 6 — would be declared, meaning a global epidemic of a new and deadly disease.

As for air travel, I never planned to go to Mexico anyways…too much corruption.

Probably a good idea????

The U.S. State Department on Monday issued a “travel alert” urging people to avoid all “non-essential” travel to Mexico over the next three months to minimize the risk of spreading swine flu, which can be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had issued a similar advisory.