SWINE FLU UPDATE: Possible Return of Swine Flu in Fall Has U.S. Health Officials on Alert.

As the H1N1 swine flu virus continues to wax and wane in different parts of the country, U.S. health officials said Tuesday that they were working as fast as possible to learn as much as they can about the novel pathogen before the return of the flu season in the fall.

The reason for the urgency: Some past pandemics were preceded by “herald waves” of a flu strain that surfaced at the end of one flu season, only to return with far greater consequences the next flu season.

It’s a good time for everyone — in and out of government — to brush up their preparedness plans.