Why so much hype about Swine Flu?

I guess to us in the USA its a big deal because we are not currently dealing with anything else that is as potent. We are a skirmish group that do not like our health to be messed with (unless we choose to do it to ourselves like obesity or not practicing safe ). Some people have died from it and are still dying. Perhaps not in large numbers but the numbers are enough to make us weary.