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Parents Scramble to Get Kids Flu Shots

Aired December 09, 2003 - 15:06   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The flu outbreak that is sweeping much of the nation has parents scrambling. And there are long lines at health clinics, as parents try to have their children vaccinated.
Cynthia Fodor at affiliate station KCCI in Des Moines, Iowa, visited a clinic that seems pretty typical of what's happening everywhere.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CYNTHIA FODOR, KCCI REPORTER (voice-over): The sign outside, "Get your flu shot here today," drew them in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many? Four?

FODOR: Mostly mothers trying to protect their babies from the threat of a potentially dangerous virus.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to get the flu vaccination, just to be on the safe side.

FODOR: Jen Pastian (ph) showed up two hours early to be the first in line. She already had a scare with her 8-month-old son, Jacob (ph), and isn't taking any chances.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was in the hospital two about weeks ago with flu-like symptoms. And he couldn't get a flu shot then because he was sick. And now, by the time he can get one, we can't find them. So we're trying.

FODOR: Parents try to occupy impatient children, who tried to be brave. This Medicap Pharmacy already gave 500 shots Friday and Saturday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two shots.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two? One, two.

FODOR: Last year, they gave only 350 shots the entire flu season.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's real scary, and this early. We got a lot of winters to go through yet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a call home today and said I better get up here and get in line because it was one of the last ones available.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had a total of about 160. Right now, we're at No. 134. Yes, in 10 minutes.

FODOR: With a total of about 200 people lined up outside around the store, many had to be turned away when the pharmacy ran out of the vaccine in no time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Thanks to Cynthia Fodor at our affiliate station KCCI, Des Moines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention trying to locate supplies of the flu vaccine and redistribute it where it is needed most.

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 9, 2003 - 15:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The flu outbreak that is sweeping much of the nation has parents scrambling. And there are long lines at health clinics, as parents try to have their children vaccinated.
Cynthia Fodor at affiliate station KCCI in Des Moines, Iowa, visited a clinic that seems pretty typical of what's happening everywhere.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CYNTHIA FODOR, KCCI REPORTER (voice-over): The sign outside, "Get your flu shot here today," drew them in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many? Four?

FODOR: Mostly mothers trying to protect their babies from the threat of a potentially dangerous virus.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to get the flu vaccination, just to be on the safe side.

FODOR: Jen Pastian (ph) showed up two hours early to be the first in line. She already had a scare with her 8-month-old son, Jacob (ph), and isn't taking any chances.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was in the hospital two about weeks ago with flu-like symptoms. And he couldn't get a flu shot then because he was sick. And now, by the time he can get one, we can't find them. So we're trying.

FODOR: Parents try to occupy impatient children, who tried to be brave. This Medicap Pharmacy already gave 500 shots Friday and Saturday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two shots.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two? One, two.

FODOR: Last year, they gave only 350 shots the entire flu season.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's real scary, and this early. We got a lot of winters to go through yet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a call home today and said I better get up here and get in line because it was one of the last ones available.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had a total of about 160. Right now, we're at No. 134. Yes, in 10 minutes.

FODOR: With a total of about 200 people lined up outside around the store, many had to be turned away when the pharmacy ran out of the vaccine in no time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Thanks to Cynthia Fodor at our affiliate station KCCI, Des Moines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention trying to locate supplies of the flu vaccine and redistribute it where it is needed most.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com