Flu Pandemic?

The WHO has raised the alert regarding the H1N1 flu to the highest level -6, and I think that most of us probably saw this coming. What this means, they say, is that the flu is spreading rapidly and has reached pandemic proportions. It is expected to affect one third of the population in the early stages, with recurring outbreaks over the next several months. I find this whole thing to be scary(especially since I am just getting over probably the worst cold I've ever had in my life). Some people in my area have resorted to wearing surgical-type face masks. On the news a couple of days ago there was a concerned mother who had rushed to her daughter's school after learning that a student there had been diagnosed with this flu. She took her daughter a face mask, which I'm pretty sure might have embarrassed the girl if she was to be the only student wearing one. Do you think that measures like this should be taken to prevent the spread of the flu? I think that I might have had some kind of flu because it seemed to be much more than an ordinary cold.