Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - There were plenty of big news stories throughout the year 2009, but undoubtedly the biggest of the year was the news of the H1N1 swine flu.

The H1N1 swine flu emerged back in March of this year, and has completely dominated the headlines ever since.

The H1N1 swine flu has managed to spread all around the world, as pressure and worry mounted due to the potential of a serious pandemic, and the limitations of a vaccine to protect against the potentially fatal virus.

The origins of the H1N1 swine flu started back in Mexico in March, resulting in cruise ships, tourists, etc. avoiding the country completely.

From there though, the H1N1 swine flu quickly spread to the U.S.a nd to other countries all around the world.

A lot of work was done by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to try and contain the panic of the public, and they succeeded.

Vaccines were put into the works quickly, and are now readily available to most.

The H1N1 swine flu targeted young children and the elderly, and has caused over 1,600 deaths around the world, with over 35,000 cases reported.