If you live in an area where there have been known cases, like parts of Texas and California, or have reason to think your toddler might have been exposed, it's probably a good idea to keep them all home until you get a confirmation on what your toddler has. Especially if her symptoms are a good match for the H1N1 mosaic virus.

Scientists around the world have been worried for years that the we're long overdue for another pandemic. They thought it might be SARS and it wasn't. They thought it might be H5N1 (avian/bird flu), and it wasn't.

Our great-grandparents' generation could remember the flu pandemic of 1918. They remembered the measures taken then to try to stop the spread of Spanish influenza, and when their own kids got sick, I think they were more likely to keep them out of school (especially prior to antibiotics and vaccines). In the 50's when polio was still a huge problem, pools would close in the summer in areas where there were cases. Officials tried to keep kids from gathering to try to cut down on transmitting the virus, because they didn't have very good ways to fight it.

The thing is, once there is a true pandemic, measures like keeping your entire family home will have to happen. Since the WHO scale is already standing at 5 out of 6, I don't think you're overreacting if you live in an area with known cases.

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