"Gene Goldenfeld" wrote in message
...
I was thinking, don't the athletes get flu shots? That's not aboslute,
but does cut down the chances enormously. However, I don't know that
it's really the flue.

If you've ever had flu you'll remember how your body was
completely debilitated. There was no chance you'd be able to
race for several weeks. Since these racers seem to recover
reasonably quickly the chances are that its not a flu virus thats
hit them.

In the UK flujabs become publicly available around the first week
in October.
I believe the World Health Organisation plot which flu epidemics
are currently traversing the Earth and the vaccine provides protection
against the three most likely to hit your area within a given period.

Airline pilots and World Cup athletes move from one part of the
globe to another so buying flu shots for these guys must be difficult.