People hold swine flu parties

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Some people are holding what they call "swine flu parties."

Officials say those people are intentionally coming in contact with an infected person, in hoped of catching a mild form of the virus.

The CDC warns against taking part in a swine flu party.

That's because different people react differently to viruses like H1N1.

"We have no confirmation that anyone has actually done this, but there's certainly lots of chatter on the Internet and so we know that people are asking these questions. It just isn't a good idea," said Dr. Stephen Ostroff of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. "You can't control it. So in some individuals, if they intentionally try to get themselves sick, they can get really, really sick. We have seen people that become severely ill, that end up hospitalized."

Dr. Ostroff adds, the safest way to get immunity to the virus is to get the H1N1 vaccine.

Visit the CDC's swine flu page here.