OF4-11/04/09 9:25 AM
CHANGING THE WAY THAT WE LOOK AT THE H1N1 VIRUS.
The Osgood File. I'm Charles Osgood.
In setting up priorities for the available H1N1 flu vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control continues to favor children.
SOT - Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control
"This is a younger people's flu."
Burt a new study in California finds that older people are far from immune, says Dr. Janice Louie of the California Department of Public Health.
SOT - Dr. Janice Louie, study's author
"It appears that the elderly do have some protection. They're not being hospitalized as much. But when they are hospitalized, they do tend to have a worse outcome."
That's true, says Dr. Lory David Wiviott, medical director at California Pacific Medical Center.
SOT - Dr. Lory David Wiviott
"Once they become infected with H1N1, older patients may be at great risk of developing severe respiratory disease and even death."
CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook says it's increasingly clear that young people are by no means the only ones who are at risk for the H1N1 "swine" flu.
SOT - Dr. Jon LaPook, CBS news Medical Correspondent
"Meanwhile, only 32 million doses of H1N1 vaccine are now available. Despite the new concern for older Americans, the CDC does not recommend moving them to the head of the line."
Dr. Thomas Frieden is director of the CDC.
SOT - Dr. Thomas Frieden
"It doesn't change what our recommendations would be for vaccination, because still overwhelmingly the number of people who are affected by H1N1 influenza are people under the age of 65."
He says virtually all the flu they're seeing is swine flu --- hardly any seasonal flu, at all.
SOT - Dr. Thomas Frieden
"The virus continues to be spreading, and we're having a steady increase in the availability of vaccine --- but not nearly as rapidly as we would've liked."
As for the California report, says Dr. LaPook...
SOT - Dr. Jon LaPook
"It's a little bit of a surprise, because the emphasis in the media and by the CDC has been that this is a younger person's disease. But in that, we can easily forget that if older people get the disease --- even though they're less likely to get it --- if they do get it, it can really be deadly, and they can become hospitalized and die."
The Osgood File. Charles Osgood on the CBS Radio Network.
The Osgood File. November 4th, 2009. |
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