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CNN Live Today
Flu Fighting Tips
Aired December 10, 2003 - 11:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you don't have your flu shot yet and you can't find one there are other options to think about. Dr. William Schaffner is with the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, and he is joining us from Nashville this morning. Doctor, good morning.
DR. WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, VANDERBILT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Good morning, Daryn. Good to be with you.
KAGAN: It's good to have you with us because I know a lot of people are really concerned about this. First of all, in a perfect world who should get flu shots?
SCHAFFNER: Well, in the perfect world, we should all get an annual flu shot. But we're emphasizing everyone over age 50. If you're younger than 50, anyone with underlying heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, immunocompromise, women who are pregnant and are in the second and third trimester of pregnancies right now, during the flu season vaccine is safe for them. And then those little children, aged 6 through 24 months. Those are the most important people.
And then, beyond that anyone else who wants to protect themselves against the flu and who doesn't want to bring flu home to their loved ones.
KAGAN: There's some questions about it this year. I want to get to quantity in just a second. But I'm also hearing this particular flu shot might only be 30 percent to 50 percent effective because the kind of flu in that's in the shot is not the nasty kind going around and is going to go around.
SCHAFFNER: Yes, let's clarify that. Remember there are three kinds of protection in the flu vaccine against three different kinds of strains. So about 20 percent of the strains that are circulating now are the second and third kind in the vaccine. They're right on target and you get full protection against them.
Now, the flu virus is wily. It changed a little bit once the manufacturing process was under way. And so there is partial protection, emphasize partial. Partial protection against the strain that's the dominant strain at the present time.
I think the jar is half full, not half empty. We want to protect ourselves to the best degree we can.
KAGAN: And how do we find ourselves in the situation of not having enough vaccines? SCHAFFNER: We have unprecedented demand. We have made more vaccine than ever. But this year, you all have helped education the public so they really want it. Next year, we'll make more.
KAGAN: And so what do you do if you want one, you think you really need one, and you can't find one?
SCHAFFNER: No. 1, keep trying. No. 2, if you're healthy, between the ages of 5 and 50, try FluMist. That's the vaccine that's sprayed into the nose. It's new and it's more expensive. And wash your hands and wash your hands again.
Those people who really have underlying disease and who haven't been vaccinated might talk to their doctors because they can take an anti-viral medicine as a prophylaxis, as a preventive. But that's between them and their doctors. There are some issues that have to be worked out between them.
KAGAN: OK, so it sounds like we as patients and consumers need to be a little bit aggressive and don't take no for an answer. Dr. William Schaffner, thank you so much for your tips. Appreciate it. And a healthy flu season to you.
SCHAFFNER: Healthy holidays to you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you don't have your flu shot yet and you can't find one there are other options to think about. Dr. William Schaffner>
Aired December 10, 2003 - 11:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you don't have your flu shot yet and you can't find one there are other options to think about. Dr. William Schaffner is with the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, and he is joining us from Nashville this morning. Doctor, good morning.
DR. WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, VANDERBILT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Good morning, Daryn. Good to be with you.
KAGAN: It's good to have you with us because I know a lot of people are really concerned about this. First of all, in a perfect world who should get flu shots?
SCHAFFNER: Well, in the perfect world, we should all get an annual flu shot. But we're emphasizing everyone over age 50. If you're younger than 50, anyone with underlying heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, immunocompromise, women who are pregnant and are in the second and third trimester of pregnancies right now, during the flu season vaccine is safe for them. And then those little children, aged 6 through 24 months. Those are the most important people.
And then, beyond that anyone else who wants to protect themselves against the flu and who doesn't want to bring flu home to their loved ones.
KAGAN: There's some questions about it this year. I want to get to quantity in just a second. But I'm also hearing this particular flu shot might only be 30 percent to 50 percent effective because the kind of flu in that's in the shot is not the nasty kind going around and is going to go around.
SCHAFFNER: Yes, let's clarify that. Remember there are three kinds of protection in the flu vaccine against three different kinds of strains. So about 20 percent of the strains that are circulating now are the second and third kind in the vaccine. They're right on target and you get full protection against them.
Now, the flu virus is wily. It changed a little bit once the manufacturing process was under way. And so there is partial protection, emphasize partial. Partial protection against the strain that's the dominant strain at the present time.
I think the jar is half full, not half empty. We want to protect ourselves to the best degree we can.
KAGAN: And how do we find ourselves in the situation of not having enough vaccines? SCHAFFNER: We have unprecedented demand. We have made more vaccine than ever. But this year, you all have helped education the public so they really want it. Next year, we'll make more.
KAGAN: And so what do you do if you want one, you think you really need one, and you can't find one?
SCHAFFNER: No. 1, keep trying. No. 2, if you're healthy, between the ages of 5 and 50, try FluMist. That's the vaccine that's sprayed into the nose. It's new and it's more expensive. And wash your hands and wash your hands again.
Those people who really have underlying disease and who haven't been vaccinated might talk to their doctors because they can take an anti-viral medicine as a prophylaxis, as a preventive. But that's between them and their doctors. There are some issues that have to be worked out between them.
KAGAN: OK, so it sounds like we as patients and consumers need to be a little bit aggressive and don't take no for an answer. Dr. William Schaffner, thank you so much for your tips. Appreciate it. And a healthy flu season to you.
SCHAFFNER: Healthy holidays to you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you don't have your flu shot yet and you can't find one there are other options to think about. Dr. William Schaffner>
