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CNN Live Saturday
Facts, Myths Of Flu Vaccine
Aired December 13, 2003 - 16:04 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.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well let's look at some facts and myths about how you can protect yourself against the flu. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is on internist, and she's here in Atlanta joining us now. Let's start with the myth of, many people think they can get the flu by getting the flu vaccine.
DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, INTERNIST: All right, you heard it here on CNN, You can't get the flu from the flu shot. The flu shot's not 100 percent. It's not going to give you 100 percent protection, but you're not going to get the flu from getting the flu shot. You may get a little soreness at the injection site, a may have a low grade fever, but you won't get the flu.
WHITFIELD: Let's cut to the chase, the really important stuff. The availability of the flu vaccine. So many offices claiming they don't have any yet. How about your office? Do you?
FRYHOFER: Fredricka, we ran out of our doses on Friday. It was tough at the end. We had to actually turn away some of the healthy young people and send them down the street to the drug store to get one of the flu mist nasal flu vaccines because we couldn't gave them one of our flu shots. We had to save it for people who needed it most.
WHITFIELD: That's great. The flu mist, a great alternative out there. Something you don't have to get from your doctor or physician, but you can get it right over the counter.
FRYHOFER: You can get it from the pharmacist. The pharmacist can dispense it. It's only for healthy people age 5 to 49. It's not for people who need protection from the flu the most. It cannot be given to people with immune system problems, it can not be given to small children, it can not be given to the elderly. If you're a healthy person age 5 to 49, try to get ahold of this flu mist vaccine. It can give you the protection you need to get you through this flu season.
WHITFIELD: I imagine there's a run on the flu mist as well. So if you can't find this from the pharmacists, what are your options? What do you to protect yourself?
FRYHOFER: Well, remember that 10 to 12 percent of the population is going to get the flu this year. And so there are things that all of us can do, it starts real simple. Wash your hands. Soap or the alcohol-based gels work just fine. Tissue.
Use kleenex when you cough or sneeze because, if you cough or sneeze in the air, those viruses get in the air, and you'll more likely to pass it to someone around you. Also, try to do what you can to keep your own immune system strong, and that involves trying to get rest, a good diet, and try to get a little bit of exercise, if you can.
Again, if you're a healthy person age 5 to 49, get a nasal flu vaccine. If you're in the high risk group go ahead and get on the phone and try to get a flu vaccine. There are still a few out there, but they're going fast. If you wait too long, you'll be out of luck.
WHITFIELD: We're about out of time. What I think is surprising, there are flu kits where you can find out if you have the symptoms.
FRYHOFER: If you have symptoms of the flu, call your doctor. He or she may not want you to come into the office to get a flu test. Now these are ten-minute tests. They're done in the doctor's offices. But the bad news is the manufacturers are running out of these as well. So, your doctor may not have one available. It's out there. If they're not sure if it is indeed the flu.
WHITFIELD: Thanks, Dr. Sandra Fryhofer.
FRYHOFER: Good luck to everybody. Wash your hands. Stay well.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 13, 2003 - 16:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well let's look at some facts and myths about how you can protect yourself against the flu. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is on internist, and she's here in Atlanta joining us now. Let's start with the myth of, many people think they can get the flu by getting the flu vaccine.
DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, INTERNIST: All right, you heard it here on CNN, You can't get the flu from the flu shot. The flu shot's not 100 percent. It's not going to give you 100 percent protection, but you're not going to get the flu from getting the flu shot. You may get a little soreness at the injection site, a may have a low grade fever, but you won't get the flu.
WHITFIELD: Let's cut to the chase, the really important stuff. The availability of the flu vaccine. So many offices claiming they don't have any yet. How about your office? Do you?
FRYHOFER: Fredricka, we ran out of our doses on Friday. It was tough at the end. We had to actually turn away some of the healthy young people and send them down the street to the drug store to get one of the flu mist nasal flu vaccines because we couldn't gave them one of our flu shots. We had to save it for people who needed it most.
WHITFIELD: That's great. The flu mist, a great alternative out there. Something you don't have to get from your doctor or physician, but you can get it right over the counter.
FRYHOFER: You can get it from the pharmacist. The pharmacist can dispense it. It's only for healthy people age 5 to 49. It's not for people who need protection from the flu the most. It cannot be given to people with immune system problems, it can not be given to small children, it can not be given to the elderly. If you're a healthy person age 5 to 49, try to get ahold of this flu mist vaccine. It can give you the protection you need to get you through this flu season.
WHITFIELD: I imagine there's a run on the flu mist as well. So if you can't find this from the pharmacists, what are your options? What do you to protect yourself?
FRYHOFER: Well, remember that 10 to 12 percent of the population is going to get the flu this year. And so there are things that all of us can do, it starts real simple. Wash your hands. Soap or the alcohol-based gels work just fine. Tissue.
Use kleenex when you cough or sneeze because, if you cough or sneeze in the air, those viruses get in the air, and you'll more likely to pass it to someone around you. Also, try to do what you can to keep your own immune system strong, and that involves trying to get rest, a good diet, and try to get a little bit of exercise, if you can.
Again, if you're a healthy person age 5 to 49, get a nasal flu vaccine. If you're in the high risk group go ahead and get on the phone and try to get a flu vaccine. There are still a few out there, but they're going fast. If you wait too long, you'll be out of luck.
WHITFIELD: We're about out of time. What I think is surprising, there are flu kits where you can find out if you have the symptoms.
FRYHOFER: If you have symptoms of the flu, call your doctor. He or she may not want you to come into the office to get a flu test. Now these are ten-minute tests. They're done in the doctor's offices. But the bad news is the manufacturers are running out of these as well. So, your doctor may not have one available. It's out there. If they're not sure if it is indeed the flu.
WHITFIELD: Thanks, Dr. Sandra Fryhofer.
FRYHOFER: Good luck to everybody. Wash your hands. Stay well.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
