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Who Should Get the H1N1 Vaccine?; Experts Discuss Everything You Need to Know About the H1N1 Virus
Aired September 05, 2009 - 15:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Three minutes before the hour. Here are some of the top stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A suspect is in custody for last week's mobile home massacre in Georgia. Guy Heinze, Jr. is jailed on eight counts of first degree murder. He's the son of one of the victims and he's the person who made the 911 call to police.
Investigators say an arsonist set that huge wildfire north of Los Angeles and the governor has offered a $100,000 reward for the tip that leads to an arrest and conviction. The fire has burned nearly 242,000 square miles of the Angeles National Forest. It is now 49 percent contained.
And U.S. and South Korean officials met to do to talk about the North Korean nuclear threat. North Korea claims it is ready to begin the final stages enriching uranium, a big step on the path to developing nuclear weapons.
All right, from hospitals to college campuses, measures that are being take to try to separate anyone suspected of being infected with the H1N1 virus. America is bracing for what is threatening to be a nasty swine flu season.
Already according to the Centers for Disease Control, the virus is linked to more than 9,000 people hospitalized and 593 deaths in just the past 4-1/2 months or so. Right now, in this hour, we're going to delve into everything, answer all your questions about how to protect yourself, how to identify what is indeed the H1N1 virus.
We're still accepting your questions and your comments on my blog, as well as on Facebook and at weekends@CNN.com.
So we've got a lot of questions, a lot of people who are going to answer some of these questions for you, including Dr. William Schaffner. He's one of the country's leading experts on infectious diseases. He's joining us. He's a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University out of Nashville.
The Hendy family of Chevy Chase, Maryland, well, they have their children in a trial, a clinical trial for the H1N1 vaccine. They're joining us out of Washington, D.C., and our Josh Levs also fielding a number of your questions as well as your comments.
But, let me begin with you, Dr. Schaffner, because we've already been receiving a whole lot of comments from people on my blog, and some that particularly struck my interest really kind of painted the picture of what a lot of people are thinking H1N1 or the swine flu is all about.
This came from someone who says he's a government worker with California. He says, "My M.D. said that the H1N1 is not worth worrying about and has stated that the immunization is only for pregnant women and children." Is that true?
DR WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL: Well, so Fredricka, how severe is it? It's going to make an awful lot of people sick, and fortunately most of them will be sick for only three or four days and will get better.
However, among all those people sick, people with underlying illnesses, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, they're more likely to get the complications of flu and furthermore, this H1N1 virus can take a perfectly normal child, a healthy child, make them ill in the morning and by the evening have that child be in an intensive care unit.
WHITFIELD: So, it's fast moving.
SCHAFFNER: Yeah, we take this very seriously, and so we believe when the vaccine is ready, let's get everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible.
WHITFIELD: And also on my blog, Christine M., she says she's taking it very seriously, too, that's she says, "I have bought nearly $400 worth of masks and glove for my grown children and grandchildren and their families in case there is not a vaccine in time.".
Of course, we have been hearing this vaccine ready to go possibly by mid-October. So is she going overboard or should we all be doing that?
SCHAFFNER: We should all be washing our hands. Being very careful about that.
WHITFIELD: So buying the masks too extreme?
SCHAFFNER: Well, some people will do that. It's not recommended by the CDC. And while we're worried about H1N1, let's get vaccinated against seasonal influenza because that vaccine is available now.
WHITFIELD: Right. And also this coming from Katy on my blog. She says the swine flu should be an eye-opener to young adults and to the elderly that if you don't take care of yourself, you may be at risk. So is that the takeaway that you're kind of bringing this on yourself if you're not taking care of yourself?
SCHAFFNER: Well, the virus is the thing that will make you sick. If you have an underlying illness, you're more severely ill, but we can do a lot to prevent that. Let's get seasonal vaccine. Let's get the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. In the meantime, wash hands. If we're sick, we should stay home so we don't give it to other people, and try to avoid people who are coughing and sneezing. WHITFIELD: Right. And, you know, covering up I guess with a tissue or coughing into your arm, that whole thing we are getting used to doing that. OK. Doctor Schaffner, we got a whole lot of questions that are coming your way, too. Those sort of things kind of struck my interest, those comments coming from a lot of folks who have been reaching out to us via blog.
So Josh Levs have been fielding through a lot more questions that people have for you. Josh, what is some of what we're hearing?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred. I'll tell you. I'm following these questions as they come in blog, Facebook, Twitter, the works. And Dr. Schaffner, what I'm going to do is fire as many as I can at you because we definitely want to get responses.
SCHAFFNER: Let's go.
LEVS: All right. We're going to start off with this from Karina, who is asking is it true if you take a lot of Vitamin D, I think we can show this question, that can ultimately help fight swine flu. Is that accurate?
SCHAFFNER: Well, we want to keep ourselves in good shape, but no specific vitamin will avoid swine flu. So we'll need the vaccine to do that and all the other things we talked about.
LEVS: Should people boost their Vitamin D levels? Will it make a difference?
SCHAFFNER: Just drink your orange juice and eat vegetables and a balanced diet.
LEVS: All right. We'll keep that in mind. This one I found really interesting. This is from Marcy who asked us "is it safe for my daughter to have her two-year-old immunizations and the H1N1 inoculation at the same time?" Doctor?
SCHAFFNER: Yes. Absolutely, it's remarkable. Our immune system can handle that. There's no difficulty in having multiple immunizations at the same time.
LEVS: This is great. Let's go to the third one here. This is interesting because it comes to us from someone who is blogging to us under the name Bear. He says "My college has mandatory orientation placing students together in semi private rooms overnight. In light of H1N1, it looks irresponsible." Doctor, does life go on here? Should people still be OK rooming together overnight? How careful do people need to be in that respect?
SCHAFFNER: Well, Bear, you just have to worry about whether your roommate is coughing and sneezing and such. I mean, there are lots of interactions that we have all the time. Let's try to avoid people who are already sick and wash our hands. Get that seasonal flu vaccine, and when H1N1 vaccine becomes available, see when you're eligible to get it. LEVS: But just another point on that before I read you one more question, you can catch it from someone who doesn't have the symptoms. Technically you could. You could get that virus from someone who is carrying it but is not yet coughing or sneezing or anything else.
SCHAFFNER: You're exactly correct. And notice, we can't walk around in a cocoon.
LEVS: All right. Let me toss in one more if I can. Because I really like (INAUDIBLE) through this. This one from Toye Smith who said you know what, "I'd like to see the government mandate all employers to have their employees vaccinated." Doctor, are we at the point where we trust this vaccine enough that entire offices should be vaccinated as soon as possible?
SCHAFFNER: Well, I'm going to trust this vaccine. You know, I'm one of the vaccine volunteers also. I have received my two doses, so I really think this is going to be a very effective vaccine, and as it becomes progressively available during the fall, more and more people will get it. That's a good thing to reduce transmission and protect ourselves.
LEVS: All right. Well, thank you. And Fred, we're going to keep this going throughout the show. Following everything here at cnn.com/fredricka or /josh. We got your Facebook, my Facebook. We got Twitter. We got everything.
WHITFIELD: That's right. There is no excuse. Lots of questions out there, and this is the place to get them all answered. So Dr. Schaffner, I can't wait to ask you a little more about any kind of side effects you felt from those two shots of the vaccine that you have already received.
Well, how about this family out of Washington, D.C. area, the Hendis. They are with us as well because their two kids right there, they are part of the clinical trials of the H1N1 vaccine. Would you volunteer your family? Would you allow your children to step forward and say, we want to be part of the clinical trials? We're going to be asking them questions and apparently you have a lot of questions for them as well. So much more straight ahead involving the Hendis, Josh Levs, and even Dr. Schaffner. And just in case you're confused, do I have a cold? Do I have a flu, the seasonal flu or do I have swine flu. Here are some of the symptoms. Take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Welcome back. We're focusing on the H1N1 virus. Everything you need to know as we encroach on a season which is expected to bring about many, many cases. Already we're seeing many cases in schools and in colleges across the country. So everything you need to know. Should you be getting the vaccine, which is to be available come mid-October, and we understand that pregnant women and children are likely to be the most vulnerable, and they are being urged by the CDC and other medical entities to try to get that H1N1 vaccine. So how effective is it? How will it be administered? Will it work? And really 90,000 people may die from the H1N1 virus. That in comparison to the seasonal flu where 36,000 people traditionally die from it on an annual basis.
So back with us Dr. William Schaffner. He is an expert on infectious diseases, and we also have our Josh Levs who has been fielding a number of your questions and comments. All day long we've been flooded with lots of questions and comments on the H1N1 virus.
So Dr. Schaffner, let me begin with you - this vaccine still not perfected, right? But it's expected to be available to the masses come mid-October?
SCHAFFNER: Well, Fred, everybody is working to make this vaccine available just as quickly as possible, but nobody is cutting any corners. So all the tests of effectiveness and safety that we usually use in seasonal influenza vaccine is being applied to this one. Mid-October, first delivery should arrive.
WHITFIELD: So we're trying to answer what to expect now from this vaccine. What to expect from the H1N1 virus. You received, doctor, the two doses. You were part of the clinical trials, right? What did you experience in the immediate onset from getting these vaccinations?
SCHAFFNER: Well, it was amazingly easy. I have to tell you, usually when I get my seasonal vaccine my arm stings for about an hour or two, but with this one nothing. So it's been wonderful. No fever, no tenderness, no swelling. It's been very straightforward.
WHITFIELD: And I hear you loud and clear. You are urging people to get this vaccine, but is there going to be enough to go around?
SCHAFFNER: Well, in the beginning we'll get across the country about 45 million doses, and, yes, indeed, we are asking pregnant women, we're asking children, and young adults up to age 24 to come forward. We're asking the parents and those who care for children less than six months of age because we can't vaccinate them exactly, them to come forward, and somewhat older adults who have underlying serious illnesses, heart disease, lung disease. Those are the folks who should go to the front of the line along with health care workers, of course, and then as more vaccine comes in every week, the rest of us can come and get the vaccine.
WHITFIELD: All right. Josh Levs has been fielding a lot of questions and comments from people. What do they want to know about what to expect this season from the vaccine, from this virus itself?
LEVS: A lot of people just don't trust it. And you know when you talk about vaccines in general, you always find some serious skepticism out there. Let's go straight to this question from Mary Kay. I'm going to show you one example, doctor, and see if you can respond to this.
"I'm more concerned about how fast and untested this vaccine is going to be made and issued," she's saying. And we're also hearing, doctor, a lot of people saying what do we not know yet about side effects, whether short term or long term. Yes, you're part of a trial, but it does seem to be pretty fast. What's going on here? Should people trust this vaccine? Is it absolutely something that they're better off doing?
SCHAFFNER: Well, the short answer is yes, they can trust it, Josh and Mary Kay. And it is going to be a safe vaccine. Remember, each year we make a brand new influenza vaccine that's subject to tests. Last year we gave 90 million doses. It must be our safest vaccine. This one is being made exactly the same way. As I said before, we're not cutting a single corner. By the time it's released, we will have all the information we need about its effectiveness and its safety.
LEVS: Doctor, let me just tell you that a lot of people are bringing up pregnant women and concerns about pregnant women and some are specifically saying that they're not necessarily comfortable for some pregnant women in their lives taking this vaccine. Could there be some sort of negative consequences to a fetus from a vaccine, from this vaccine?
SCHAFFNER: Yes. I understand that completely. Mind you, for the last 10 years, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as well as the CDC advisory committee have said that all women who are pregnant during the influenza season should be vaccinated. And why is that? Because when pregnant women become ill with influenza, they have rates of complications that are comparable to people age 65 and older.
And of course, that can adversely affect the fetus. So influenza vaccine is safe during pregnancy. It helps protect the mother and after the child is born, that infant for the first six months picks up some of that protection. So one of my friends calls it the Wal-Mart special, two for the price of one. Protect mom and the baby.
LEVS: Fred, I have time for one more, right?
WHITFIELD: Yes, you do.
LEVS: All right. Let's zoom in on the screen right here. Doctor, I want to show you something we've gotten from Facebook. This is something we've been talking about already. This is from Robert Statten who wrote, you know what? Best thing to do for prevention, work out, do your best to stay healthy. Then you don't have to worry about any kind of flu. Now, we all know it's not that simple. But how big a part of the picture here is exercising, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, all the basics of health?
SCHAFFNER: Well, I tried to do all that, and I will probably get to work out a little bit later this afternoon, but that's not sufficient. That's why I volunteered for the vaccine trial because it's so important that we have the vaccine in addition to all of those other things.
WHITFIELD: OK. And there are a couple OF options, aren't there, doctor, when it pertains to this vaccine? When it comes out, you can get an inoculation or there's a mist? How do you know which is best for you? When is a mist something you want to turn toward?
SCHAFFNER: Yes, Fred. The nasal spray vaccine is available for everyone age two through 50 who is otherwise healthy. It's a very easy and quick way to get the vaccine. We've used it in my family. Others of us who are a little bit older than 50 have to get the inoculation. They're quite comparable.
WHITFIELD: And we can expect while a lot of early child care providers are being urged to get the vaccine, how about first responders or perhaps even other medical care providers and even teachers since they're exposed to a lot of young people who apparently are among the more vulnerable and the ones who last year were the biggest carriers.
SCHAFFNER: Yes. Certainly health care workers and emergency medical technicians and others are to go to the front of the line. And then as the vaccine comes in each week, about 20 more million doses around the country, we'll be able to give it to everyone who wants it. Just pay attention locally. You'll get the word from your local health department.
WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. William Schaffner, thank you so much. Josh Levs, we got many more questions, many more comments, and I know you're dying to hear from this one family. Maryland family. They're joining us. The father is a pediatrician. Two of their children right there in the center said, yes, we want to be part of the clinical trials. What are they experiencing? How did they come about this decision? And what worries do they have and how about for that pediatrician dad? What kind of worries does he have about the H1N1 virus?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We'll get back to answering your questions about the H1N1 virus. But first these top stories.
The Georgia man who called 911 to report his family had been killed is now charged with their killings. Guy Heinze, Jr. faces eight counts of first-degree murder. Police say two new pieces of information led them to the arrest of the 22-year-old but they're not saying what the information is. Funerals for the family were set for this afternoon.
Authorities in California are hoping a $100,000 reward will lead them to the arsonist who set the big wildfire near Los Angeles called the station fire. Right now the blaze is 49 percent contained. The flames have burned more than 154,000 acres.
And sources tell CNN the White House is talking about drafting its own formal reform legislation if a deal in Congress falls through. One source says the White House is leaning towards dropping the public option. The plan would cover most, but not all, of the 46 million Americans without insurance. We're talking about H1N1 virus. How to identify it, how to deal with it this season. We're not only dealing with the seasonal flu this year but we're also dealing with H1N1, and we've heard a number of encouragements coming from the White House on down to the CDC saying we want to take advantage of the vaccine when it comes out come mid-October.
Susan Candiotti is also going to be taking us back to New York where last year was the epicenter of the spread of the H1N1 virus. How are they handling the students return this school year?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. We're focusing on the H1N1 virus. We're answering your questions. We heard from the CDC, Dr. Thomas Freeden, who says you need to be prepared.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. THOMAS FREEDEN, CDC DIRECTOR: The H1N1 influenza is here. It is spreading in parts of the U.S., particularly in the southeast, and, in fact, it never went away. We had H1N1 influenza throughout the summer in summer camps and now with colleges and schools coming back into session, we're seeing more cases.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And speaking of colleges, already the American College Health Association is saying that 55 percent of colleges and universities across the country are reporting cases of H1N1 virus and they're taking extreme measures to try to if not treat the students, isolate them, separate them, and even in some cases like on the campus of the University of Washington where 2,000 reported cases are already taking place, some college campuses actually have dormitories devoted to those who are sick and asking them not to attend class.
So last year among the schools that dealt with the H1N1 virus, many of them in New York, one in particular, a private Catholic school. Susan Candiotti went back to find out what kind of lessons were learned.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sisters Amrita and Priti (ph) Sandhu are excited about going back to school, except for one thing, the H1N1 virus, or swine flu.
AMRITA SANDHU, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: I was nauseous, threw up, body chills, fever.
CANDIOTTI: Amrita has the dubious distinction of being among the first people in the country to get swine flu last swing at New York City's epicenter, St. Francis Prep School.
SANDHU: As soon as I say prep, people say the swine school? CANDIOTTI: The school says it's as ready as possible for opening day. The buildings was scrubbed down from last spring. Now hand sanitizers are in the cafeteria and every bathroom. The high school's principal is teaching other schools how to handle an outbreak. Are you worried?
BROTHER LEONARD CONWAY, PRINCIPAL, ST. FRANCIS PREP: Well, I am worried. Some of the experts are saying that since so many kids had the flu here, that they've probably built up an immunity to it.
CANDIOTTI: But this school isn't taking any chances. School assemblies will remind kids how to protect themselves. In the event of an outbreak, sick kids will be temporarily isolated in the auditorium.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were kids around the bend waiting to get in.
CANDIOTTI: The school nurse Mary (INAUDIBLE) knows firsthand about a quick response. When the swine flu hit, the school's phone lines were jammed. Security guards had to help take temperatures.
(on camera): To save time should a lot of students show up at once here in the nurses' office, this year they are going to be using these strip thermometers. Pretty easy to use, you just peel off the back, and put it on your forehead. This is Brian. And it will register the temperature just like that.
(voice-over): The temperature glows, but is every school this prepared?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My biggest fear is that it would maybe be in a school where there was no nurse and, you know, it would be chaos for those kids.
CANDIOTTI: Some schools can't afford nurses. Nationwide Vermont has the best nurse to student ratio, one nurse for every 275 students. In Utah it jumps to one nurse for every 4,900 students. But how to prevent an outbreak? In New York City, elementary students will be offered free swine flu vaccines when they're ready next month.
(on camera): Plan on getting the vaccine?
SANDHU: Yes, I would definitely get it.
I'm just hoping that it doesn't - like nothing like this happens again this year or any year.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, parents and teachers across the country are hoping their school is not faced with the H1N1. So out of an abundance of caution, we're going to introduce you to a Maryland family that decided to allow their kids ages seven and nine to volunteer themselves for the clinical trials of the H1N1 vaccine. Hello to Dr. Nima Hendi and Jamie Hendi and nine-year-old Sarah Hendi and seven-year-old Josh Hendi, joining us from Washington. Good to see you all.
DR. NIMA HENDI, CHILDREN IN H1N1 VACCINE TRIAL: Thank you for having us.
WHITFIELD: Well, Dr. Hendi, let me begin with you. You're a pediatrician. I would like to know was the family influenced by your point of view on whether the H1N1 vaccine, the trial, was something to take part in or is this an independent decision that your children, Sarah and Josh, made?
DR. NIMA HENDI: I think we all made the decision together. Of course, me being a pediatrician did help influence it. You know, unfortunately, I'm one of the people that has to see all the children that get really sick from even the seasonal flu, and one of the most important things that we do as pediatrician and primary care doctors is preventative care and probably the most effective part of that is vaccine. So I was very happy to be able to enroll my children in this vaccine study to get them protected as soon as possible.
WHITFIELD: Well, I can't wait to talk to Sarah and Josh but Jamie, let me speak with you real quick about your concerns. Did you have any trepidation about your kids being part of a clinical trial?
JAMIE HENDI, CHILDREN IN H1N1 VACCINE TRIAL: Not really. I thought that the risks of them getting the swine flu would far outweigh the risks of the shot. So it was really a no-brainer for me. And also the fact that my husband, because he is a pediatrician and he was really urging for the kids to do it, that also made the decision much easier.
WHITFIELD: Were there kids in your kids' school say last year when H1N1 was introduced to a lot of us for the first time, were any of them infected last year? Any friends of your kids or school mates of your kids?
JAMIE HENDI: We did know two kids this summer that probably had it from a summer camp, and the one friend that went to camp with my kids was out for about a week. So my kids did get to see that firsthand. He was really, really sick, and his brother was really sick, too.
WHITFIELD: OK. So, Sarah, let me begin with you, nine years old. Give me an idea of what the trials have been like so far. What have you had to do? Did you get a shot already?
SARAH HENDI, RECEIVED H1N1 TRIAL VACCINE: Yes. I only got one shot.
WHITFIELD: And did you feel anything afterwards? Did you feel sick or did you feel just fine? Do you feel any differently?
SARAH HENDI: No.
WHITFIELD: Were you nervous about taking this, being part of the trial?
SARAH HENDI: No.
WHITFIELD: Really?
And so, Josh, what do you know about this H1N1 virus? Josh, you're seven. I'm wondering from you, do you know what's going on here, why you got another inoculation, why you got another shot?
JOSH HENDI, RECEIVED H1N1 VACCINE: I got one.
WHITFIELD: You got one. Do you have a pretty good understanding about why, what you're protecting yourself from?
JOSH HENDI: I don't know.
WHITFIELD: Well, as long as you're feeling OK now, right, and so Dr. Hendi, I guess as long as the kids feel pretty at ease about this, they're not expressing that they feel discomfort at all, we are talking about a clinical trial and a lot of folks who are waiting for this vaccine to be available in mid-October, are saying they need the time to think about it. They're afraid they might get sick from the vaccine as opposed to being protected.
DR. INMA HENDI: You know, it's an inactivated vaccine just like the seasonal flu shot. It's being made the same way. Same side effect profile. Josh actually played football the night he got his first shot and did pretty good, and so it's no different. Parents should think of it no different than the seasonal flu shot. There will just be two strains, two different types of flu going around this winter, seasonal flu and the swine flu.
WHITFIELD: Will they also get the regular flu shot, too, in addition to being part of the clinical trial for H1N1?
DR. INMA HENDI: Yes, you can't get it at the same time you're going through the trials. So the soonest possible time they can get it after the trial they will. We have been getting it out in our practice for the last three weeks at a pretty good rate. Those people are getting their flu shot like they should.
WHITFIELD: And so I guess I should be asking, maybe I should ask first you and your wife, have you both been part of the trials, too, or are you planning to get the vaccine?
DR. INMA HENDI: I wanted to. Unfortunately, for the kids they come up to our practice in Fredrick to run the trials. For the adult studies you had to drive down to Baltimore five separate days and we just couldn't do it. Otherwise I would have loved to and I would have participated.
WHITFIELD: So come October, Jamie, are you planning on getting it or convincing your husband?
JAMIE HENDI: Absolutely, absolutely. We'll get the swine flu shot. No reservations at all. WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Nima Hendi, Jamie, Sarah, and Josh Hendi as well. Thanks to all of you for participating in our conversation, making us all a little smarter and getting a better understanding about what to expect if we so choose to get that vaccine come mid-October when it's available to everybody. Thanks a lot.
All right. So we're going to talk a little bit more about the vaccine. What are the possible side effects and will it, indeed, give people the flu? We heard from the Hendis, that, no, there were no side effects. They didn't feel anything after the fact. What about for the masses?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Welcome back. We're focusing on the H1N1 virus, everything you need to know. You make a decision, yes, I will get the swine flu vaccine once it's available. Will it be flying colors, will everything be OK, just like it was for Sarah and Josh Hendi, who we met just before the break?
Let's re-introduce to you Dr. William Schaffner. He's an infectious disease professor at Vanderbilt University. He's a specialist on all things H1N1. He's also been advising the CDC.
And we have our Josh Levs, who has been fielding a lot of your questions as well as your comments.
So Dr. Schaffner, we have a lot of questions. People are a little concerned.
Right, Josh?
They're particularly concerned about whether they actually get the swine flu, the H1N1, if they get inoculated, right?
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, INFECTIOUS DISEASE PROFESSOR, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY: There isn't any reason to believe that. That's an old myth, that you can get flu from the flu vaccine. That's incorrect, Fred. And so you can put that aside.
If you get the nasal spray variety, you might have a little nasal drip and a sore throat for a day, but that's a whole lot better than getting influenza. And most people get a little bit of a sore arm for about a half a day. Didn't even happen to me this time.
WHITFIELD: All right, Josh, what are some of the other questions or concerns people have? Why are they a little nervous about this vaccine?
JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Here is one of the biggest reasons. Let's zoom right into the screen behind me. This is from Facebook. Jay Kornneef writes, "How is it, most medicines take years to go to market after extensive testing, yet this one goes to market within months?"
WHITFIED: That's an excellent question. LEVS: Doctor? Yeah, anything suspicious about the timing?
SCHAFFNER: And, Josh, we have to remember, each year we make a new influenza vaccine so we have that down, but we reconstitute it in a new way each year. This one is being made exactly the way our annual influenza vaccine is being made. And it's being subject to the same safety and effectiveness tests.
JOSH: Given that though, Doctor, I want to show you the second part of Jay's question, which I also found very interesting. "Why isn't that included in the normal flu vaccine? Why don't people just go get one shot?"
SCHAFFNER: Wouldn't that be wonderful? Except flu is fickle. It faked us out. Just when we were finished manufacturing the regular vaccine, oh, big surprise, in April and May, H1N1 showed up. So there's no way we could combine them, right? So this time, we have to take an extra inoculation or two.
LEVS: Doctor, speaking of the fickleness, check out this from Rosemary Ashley, also on Facebook. She says, "Is it true that if you have the flu that was going around in 1958, you may have some immunity? People talk about these various flus in the past."
We have something similar at our blog, this one from Miriam, who talks about her daughter, when she was a child had the swine flu vaccine from years and years and years ago. Are people, who had those previous vaccines even decades ago, in any stronger position to fight off this flu?
SCHAFFNER: Two questions. Let's do Rosemary's first. Namely, do people who are a bit older now, if they saw a virus similar to this, like a cousin to this virus, back in the 1950s, are they protected? In part, and that's why older people currently are less affected by the H1N1 flu. So that's a small advantage to being older.
As to whether there's any protection from the swine flu vaccine that we received in 1976, the answer is no. They have the same name, but they're quite different viruses. So we'll still have to get vaccinated even if we got vaccinated back in '76.
LEVS: Let me just tell our audience, keep them coming, cnn.com/fredricka or /Josh, Facebook, Twitter. We've got it all. And we'll get in a few more before the end of the hour.
WHITFIELD: Perfect. Josh, Dr. Schaffner, those were some of the worry that is people had.
Now in the next segment, we'll try to separate fact from fiction, such as -- this is a pretty prevalent question. Is it safe to eat pork because of the season of H1N1 or swine flu?
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WHITFIELD: Back to answering all your questions about H1N1, or swine flu, in a moment. But first, a look at the top stories. Finance ministers meeting in London say the world economy is improving, but it's still too early to drop stimulus measures. Today's meeting was a prelude to the G-20 meeting of presidents and prime ministers later this month in Pittsburgh.
And in western Pennsylvania today, a hunt for a missing boy has ended with a tragic discovery and an arrest. Police say they found the body of 4-year-old Wyatt Smitski (ph) stuffed in a septic tank. A suspect is in custody.
And look in the water. There's one big reason. That one right there. Why Massachusetts officials are warning beachgoers to be careful this Labor Day weekend. Five very big sharks have been spotted off the coast of Cape Cod. At least one of them is believed to be a great white. Worldwide shark attacks kill an average of four people a year.
We're focusing on H1N1. Your questions answered. We'll have more of that right after this. An apple a day won't keep the virus away, but how an Apple can actually help you keep track of the swine flu.
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WHITFIELD: This hour, we've been answering a lot of guess about the H1N1 virus, the swine flu, when and who should be getting the vaccine, which will be available come mid-October. And what should you be concerned about if you don't. Well, now let's try to delve into some of the myths. Let's fact check if we can.
Dr. William Schaffner is back with us of Vanderbilt University. and he also advises the CDC. He's an infectious disease specialist.
As well as our Josh Levs, who has been going through a lot of your e-mails. We're getting a deluge of comments and questions about the swine flu.
So let's begin with some fact checking, if you will, Dr. Schaffner. One, a lot of people are still asking the question, is it safe to eat pork because they hear the word swine flu?
SCHAFFNER: Enjoy your pork chop, yum, yum.
(LAUGHTER)
There's no danger to eating pork at all. Put that out of your mind. Enjoy your dinner.
WHITFIELD: Should I stop shaking hands with people? Be a little less social?
SCHAFFNER: That's an interesting question. And the Indians touch elbows. That's kind of catching on. And in addition to that, let's wash our hands very, very frequently. The alcohol gels work. Soap and water is wonderful. Do it frequently.
WHITFIELD: Still be social. It's all right. And am I immune to the H1N1 if I've already had it?
SCHAFFNER: Well, the answer to that is yes.
WHITFIELD: Really?
SCHAFFNER: However, most people haven't had it specifically diagnosed. And there are other things that can cause symptoms that are very similar. So we don't really know. Those people in whom it's not been specifically diagnosed, they should get vaccinated.
WHITFIELD: Interesting. And I guess the confusion is because we heard a lot last year and earlier this year, people who had the H1N1, they weren't really sure if it was the seasonal flu. Very similar symptoms and there really is no treatment, correct, you just have to let it get out of your system on its own?
SCHAFFNER: Actually, I beg your pardon. We do have two antiviral drugs that work very, very well.
WHITFIELD: What are they?
SCHAFFNER: One is called Tamiflu and the other is called Relenza. but they have to be started early. Not everyone will get it. Physicians are making some distinctions, but particularly people with underlying illnesses, they should call their health care provider right away.
WHITFIELD: Perfect. That's why we have you here, to give us the facts. Straighten us out.
Josh Levs, what are some of the other questions people are asking? What are some of the myths we need to, I guess...
LEVS: I have one that fits into this category. Let's zoom in here.
Doctor, I have got about it from a lot of people. This is one example from Abedid Shunu. "Is it true there are reports from Japan that the vaccine causes nightmares?" I think I've seen six or seven people ask me this, whether the vaccine causes nightmares. Dose it?
SCHAFFNER: The vaccine, no. but you can have nightmares if you're very, very ill and you have disturbed sleep, but not the vaccine.
LEVS: So there's nothing about sleep that we're hearing about in there.
SCHAFFNER: No.
LEVS: It doesn't fit very neatly into here, but I want to ask you this quickly. A lot of people are writing us about something you mentioned earlier in this show. You said that a child can seem perfectly healthy in the morning and be in the ICU by night. A lot of people are saying, there's the shot that you can get. But is there anything else you can do to prevent your kid from being one of those kids?
SCHAFFNER: Be very careful to make sure that the child, if the child really starts to look ill, get that child to an emergency room or call your pediatrician or family doctor right away.
LEVS: I think the complexity here is that we've also heard -- Sanjay has talked to some doctors. We have heard from doctors who say, wait a second, if your kid has flu, do what you would normally do, the fluids, maybe the baths, some of the basics. When does it cross the line to get to the emergency room?
SCHAFFNER: Josh, it's tough, but if that temperature gets very high, if the child is really looking badly, if you're at all worried about that child, make that call.
WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Schaffner, Josh Levs, thanks so much.
Right now, it seems the concentration of a lot of these cases are in the southeast. Why is that? And don't you need to know how to track this H1N1, perhaps an area you might be traveling to? You need to know whether you are being made more vulnerable. Josh Levs will be back with us tracking the swine flu.
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WHITFIELD: We're focusing on the H1N1 virus. Already in the past four and a half months, thousands of people have been hospitalized with the H1N1 virus and there have been a number of deaths as well.
So where have most of the H1N1 infections taken place in this country? Our Josh Levs is keeping a close watch of tracking this swine flu.
We know that there's been a pretty heavy concentration in the southeast, right?
LEVS: There has. It's really interesting to see what these maps end up showing. I will take you to one of the major web sites the people are looking at. This is at cnn.com, because we have a whole section on it. Cnn.com/H1N1. It's filled with information.
Here is the map we were just talking about, the health map. You were talking about the southeast. Look at the shot of the United States here. Definitely, a concentration in this area. Healthmap.org. Now, I have posted links to all these. Folks, you don't need to write anything down. At the end, I will show you where everything is.
The way the health map works is you click on any disease, virus, illness, whatever it is, and you can give it a time frame. Say the last week, two weeks, it will show you the reported cases. You can click on one of the cases. It will give you the information, what's known about that case, et cetera.
A couple more pages to show you. This is interesting. Google -- Google tracks your searches in general. If one day, out of nowhere, millions of people are suddenly searching for something, they point that out. Now, what they've done is create this flu trends page. So if, all of a sudden, people in a certain part of Australia, New Zealand, the United States, anywhere, are suddenly doing a lot of searching about this particular flu, they're going to send out an alert and say, hey, there might be a reason that people suddenly in Oklahoma, whatever it is, are searching for information about the flu. Maybe there's something going on there.
Finally, flu.gov is from the administration. This is a major web site the Obama administration has set this up to provide people all the latest that the administration has.
And everything I just showed you, you can see her at cnn.com/Josh. I have links to all these things. and we would love to hear from you. If they work for you or if they don't. If you know other sites that work great.
Fred, we're following this and sharing it right here.
WHITFIELD: Perfect. Josh Levs, thanks so much.
Dr. William Schaffner will be back with us, too, with some final questions and comments. There he is right there.
We have the final questions for you right now, Dr. Schaffner.
A few things people are saying which I find pretty interesting even on my blog. "My college has a mandatory overnight orientation placing all people together in semi-private rooms overnight." This person is saying is that a good idea?
SCHAFFNER: Well, we're all doing whatever we can. We can't isolate ourselves completely. The emphasis really in colleges and schools, they're teaching about hand washing. If you're sick, go see your doctor. And you will be put off in the hospital or in a separate dorm. So they're doing their best to limit the spread in schools and universities.
WHITFIELD: OK. And then from Laura. She says, "Looks like I'm in the minority here because I'm not in the least bit afraid of swine flu." She says for a couple reasons. One, she lives in a rural area. So if you live in a rural area, if you feel like you're really not in contact with the general public that much, maybe you don't need to worry about a vaccine? Or even worry about being exposed to the virus?
SCHAFFNER: Well, I don't know about not being worried because flu can be anywhere. And we do recommend that, if you're out there and you're on that list to get the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available, I think you should take advantage of it.
WHITFIELD: OK. Any other final questions, Josh, you're seeing on Facebook or your blog?
LEVS: We have a little bit. Fred, we were talking about fact checks and myths out there. I assume this is myth. Maybe not. Check this out. Joan Carter, "I have a crazy question. I heard the virus can live on paper. How do colleges get rid of germs on textbooks or library books? Could they microwave them to kill the virus?"
Doctor, if you're touching something, a paper, a wall, a book, will you get the virus?
WHTIFIELD: And how long does the virus last?
SCHAFFNER: Two good things. First, the environment is not a major way influenza spreads. It spreads because people breathe in and out what other people breathe out, and then through hands. So wash your hands very, very vigorously.
WHITFIELD: I think I can do one more really quickly.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, do one more.
LEVS: People -- let's take a look, from Crystal, "Since the flu virus tends to mutate every year, what guarantee is there the H1N1 vaccination prepared now will be effective? She goes on to say, "Hasn't it mutated in the past?"
Doctor?
SCHAFFNER: Neat question. This has been a very, very stable virus throughout. So this vaccine ought to be (AUDIO PROBLEM).
WHITFIELD: Oh, no, we just lost him.
LEVS: We just lost him?
WHITFIELD: We're going it try to get the end of that sentence.
LEVS: Stable virus throughout. Ought to be still the same thing.
WHITFIELD: A cliff-hanger. We will find out...
LEVS: I'll finish the sentence at cnn.com/fredricka, whatever it was he was trying to say.
WHITFIELD: And we'll also try to get it on tomorrow at 4:00 eastern time as a continuation of how we focused on this entire hour.
It's pretty remarkable, Josh. A lot of folks feel educated on one end about H1N1, what we need to know about it, how do we protect ourselves. On the other end, people are being influenced by a lot of things and world of mouth is one. So they don't always get the facts straight.
LEVS: Exactly. And let's emphasize, this is the beginning -- or a continuation of a conversation that goes on or it's going to continue online and it will continue in the "NEWSROOM." And you have all these ways to contact us. We're at Facebook, Twitter, and you have the "Newsroom" blog. Also, Fred, I was showing you some web sites. I think we have -- let's see if our producers can get this, some video that I actually want to mention. It's an iPhone application. I have a picture of it here from DigitalJournal.com, which is a web site that tracks what's goes on on the Internet. There it is. It's called Outbreaks Near Me. That's affiliated with healthmap.org. If you're traveling, it will send you an alert, based on where you are, saying here is what we know about the cases in the region you're traveling. There's also the web site. No everyone has an iPhone. They are creating these applications. And this, what you're seeing now, this video is a sign of something that -- it's a new word I learned this week, infodemiology.
WHITFIELD: Infodemiology? Sure.
LEVS: Infodemiology. Isn't that wild?
WHITFIELD: Share.
LEVS: Researchers are actively working to make these web sites part of what America and the world are using to fight this virus. They want people to share information as much as possible online as a way of fighting. Infodemiology. We'll see how that plays out.
WHTIFIELD: Fantastic. Josh Levs, thanks so much for helping to make us smarter this hour.
As did Dr. William Schaffner. Thanks to him. Sorry we lost that signal out of Nashville.
And also the Hendi family, the Maryland family that joined us earlier in the hour, talking about how their kids, ages 7 and 9, were part of the clinical trials. And so far, so good. They've had the first dose of two for the H1N1 vaccine.
I'm Fredricka Whitfield. I will see you again tomorrow. The next hour of the "CNN NEWSROOM" with Don Lemon -- however, it will be Richard Lui, filling in for Don Lemon -- just minutes away.
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