▁novel ▁flu ▁stra in ▁using ▁mechan isms ▁already ▁in ▁place ▁for ▁its ▁V acc ines ▁for ▁Children ▁( V FC ) ▁program . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁CD C ▁reported ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 5 0 ▁million ▁Americans ▁or ▁ 1 ▁in ▁ 6 ▁people ▁had ▁been ▁inf ected ▁with ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁A ▁H 1 N 1 ▁Vir us ▁and ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Americans ▁had ▁died , ▁by ▁which ▁time ▁the ▁v acc ine ▁was ▁beginning ▁to ▁be ▁widely ▁distributed ▁to ▁the ▁general ▁public ▁by ▁several ▁states . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁the ▁CD C ▁reported ▁a ▁reduction ▁of ▁the ▁disease ▁by ▁ 5 9 % ▁percent ▁and ▁the ▁disease ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁end ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁CD C ▁released ▁new ▁estimate ▁figures ▁for ▁sw ine ▁flu , ▁saying ▁it ▁had ▁sick ened ▁about ▁ 5 5 ▁million ▁Americans ▁and ▁killed ▁about ▁ 1 1 , 1 6 0 ▁from ▁April ▁through ▁mid - Dec ember . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁CD C ▁released ▁updated ▁estimate ▁figures ▁for ▁sw ine ▁flu , ▁reporting ▁that , ▁in ▁total , ▁ 5 7 ▁million ▁Americans ▁had ▁been ▁sick ened , ▁ 2 5 7 , 0 0