Title: CDC update on H1N1 virus

" Now one of period where these vaccines availability. His group is increasing steadily but far too slowly. It's frustrating to all of us we wish there were more vaccine available. We need to remember that the enemy here is a virus. Pandemic influenza is very challenging to deal with. The tool that we have available. Are not as modern as we would like -- rapid. And all of us can be part of an effective response. Manufacturers are working hard to get as much vaccine now safely as possible. The vaccine strains of the virus. Grow and that's how we develop vaccine. Even if you yell at them they don't grow faster. And the government we're doing everything we can to get vaccine out as soon as it becomes available. Shipping is overnight. We're distributing to literally tens of thousands of doctors hospitals. Health centers throughout the country. The health care. Providers. Health care providers can do quite a bit -- That's -- as soon as vaccine becomes available there is now a significant amount of vaccine available Marco through that morning meant. And also ensuring prompt treatment of people with underlying conditions were severe illness. PH one N one influenza remains overwhelmingly susceptible. To chemical. So people who are severely ill will -- underlying conditions and who gets sick can rapidly be treated. Community groups and schools can do a lot to reduce the risk both of spread and a disruption of learning and work. And the public into law by staying home when you're sick covering your cough and sneeze. And washing your hands often also if you happen underlying condition warriors severely ill with flu see your provider right away. And of course as vaccine becomes available -- backed him. Now in terms of the virus where are we today. We continue to -- widespread. Activity of H1N1 influenza 46 states are reporting widespread. Activity. We've had. Up till now many millions of cases a pandemic influenza in the US and the numbers continue to increase. This remains largely a young person's disease but we're seeing it increasingly affect young adults as well as children. As happens with flu each year it generally begins in kids and then we see it later in young adults. We are still not seeing significant numbers of cases. In the elderly. And that is a characteristic. Of this virus which has not changed since spring. We're not seeing any greater severity. Of this particular virus then we did in the spring and it's comparable generally get out of seasonal influenza. And again we're not seeing significant increases. In resistance nor are we seeing. Big changes in the genetic nature of the virus that would make it less susceptible to vaccine. We're seeing an increasing number of schools closing because of the virus and we would just remind. School administrators and others of the CDC guidance that indicates that schools should be closed -- administrative leave it comes. Very difficult or impossible. Where the school to continue operating. Or if error are a large number of kids. Who have serious underlying conditions such as muscular dystrophy that would put them at greater risk for serious complications of the flu. And of course it is a local decision whether or not to close we provide guidance and we've worked closely with the Education Department on that. As of now we have seen since the beginning of the pandemic. In April and I. We've seen more than a thousand deaths from pandemic influenza. And more than 20000 hospitalizations in this country. We expect that influence will occur in waves and we can't predict how high. How far how long the -- gore win the next -- we're now in the second wave of pandemic influenza. And whether this will continue through the fall into the winter weather will go away come back. In the winter in traditional through season which would peak usually in December January or February only time will tell. Various estimates are possible and we look carefully at that. What we're committed to doing as we've been doing from day one is to provide all of the information that's available to us to you as soon as. We are confident that. What. What we've learned more in the last couple of weeks is that not only. It is the virus unpredictable. But vaccine production is much less predictable than we would we. We're nowhere near where we thought we'd be by now we're not near where the vaccine manufacturers predicted we would be. And we share the frustration of people who have waited on line or call the number checked the website and haven't been able to find a place to get vaccinated. As public health professionals. Vaccination is our strongest tool and not having enough of it is enormously frustrating to all of us. The enemy again here is the virus and that technology that we're using although it's tried and true is not well suited for pandemic X. Are planning anticipated six to nine month period between the emergence of a new virus. And availability of vaccine against that virus the six month. Clock will. We'll be up really at the end of October and by that time we will have some vaccines but not as much as we would like. As you call. We had an ethical choice a few weeks ago where we had some vaccine available and we knew that getting out some vaccine. Not enough for everyone who wants it. Would be. Challenging situation. And would be frustrating permanent the alternative would be to let its stock up until we have enough for. Larger important people who wanted to get it. Do you that would have meant that it would be waiting in warehouses when people who wanna get vaccinated could get vaccinated and could be protected. As of this Wednesday. There were a -- of fourteen point one million doses available to the states for ordering. Eleven point three million had been shipped so there are now more than eleven million doses in the community in various places. As of today there are sixteen point one million doses available for shipping and if you look on that week to week. Basis we had a big increase in the past week in -- been shipped out to community an increase of about five point four million doses between. Last Wednesday and this Wednesday. So there is steady progress getting the vaccine out there is a lot of vaccine out there and we've been working hard. -- ship it overnight to work with states and localities so that they can hit the ground running. And to try to make it as easy as possible. One of the things that we're hearing anecdotally. A lot of the initial vaccine is in the form of the -- of the nasal spray. This is a vaccine that is available in many places it's only recommended for use in people who are healthy and between the ages of two. And 49. It's available both seasonal missed and each one and one missed is available I this year I received seasonal flu vaccine a couple weeks ago. Using the missed. There's every reason to believe it will be as effective as a shot. One last needles so Kazmir like that. And there is no risk for health care workers if they get this the -- for their patients there are some misconceptions about this. It's a weakened virus that's been adapted and laboratory. Not to grow with the usual human temperature so it's something that is not a risk to your patients if you -- health care worker get this vaccine. On the flip side of the frustration is the fact if there's a lot of interest in this vaccination were glad to see that. We wish it didn't take so long to produce. And there have been efforts going back many years to develop more rapid methods of producing vaccine. More than two billion dollars has been -- has been spent by the Department of Health and Human Services trying to develop new methods of vaccine production. This is a high priority but it's not easy and we. Will not go well with the new vaccine to were completely confident of its safety. So even if we had a new vaccine now I'm not sure we would use it in the midst of a pandemic. Which has a similar level of severity to seasonal flu. In the coming weeks we will see a steady increase in the amount of vaccine available. And as that happens. We are hoping to see that continued strong interest in getting vaccinated. Vaccine is our best protection against the flu and as supply increases we need to be ready. On the part of health care workers and part of the public health departments throughout the country and on the part of people who wanna get vaccinated to find the vaccine again. I want to say a few words about seasonal flu vaccine. More than 85 million doses have been distributed and just to remind you seasonal flu in his distributed by the manufacturers. It does not go through the public system. We provide about 10% of the overall seasonal vaccines are we don't have as much awareness of where it is and where that shortages are. We heard a number of reports of shortages in seasonal flu vaccine availability. These were surprising to us until we got back earlier this week. New data about the uptick of seasonal flu vaccination which has been unprecedented. By our estimates. Over sixty million people have already been vaccinated for seasonal influenza. That is way more way sooner than any prior year. And that strong topic and we hope that that trend continues. Before taking questions -- we just summarize that. Flew brings significant challenges and pandemic influenza it even more serious and challenging. Issues that -- vaccine technology we have today he's not well suited to meet new vaccine in time. For a the first wave or even early in the second -- of the pandemic. The vaccine is arriving. Too late for many but still when we have lots of disease around. So sixteen million doses isn't. What we would've wanted by this time it isn't what had been predicted by this time. But it's also a significant number and we hope to see vaccine doses that are available. Used promptly. In the next few weeks we do anticipate that we will have significantly more vaccine available and we recognize that this is very challenging. -- state and local health departments which have to allocate the vaccine and try to do that equitably but also reached the highest. Highest risk populations the population is set for which would do the most benefit. -- thank tool for your interest and we'll be happy to take some questions."