Dr. Biden's Swine Flu Advice: Stay Home

By: Sean Alfano
Topics: White House

(AP)

UPDATED Making the rounds on this morning's talk show circuit, Vice President Joe Biden dispensed some medical advice on the current swine flu epidemic.

"I would tell members of my family — and I have — that I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now," Biden said on NBC's "The Today Show." "It's not just going into Mexico. If you're any place in a confined aircraft and one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft."

The rather alarmist warning prompted a U.S. health official to say that the outbreak in the country "is not really at that point."

Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, released a statement soon after stating that "swine flu should not discourage people from traveling to or within the United States."

"Elected officials must strike a delicate balance of accurately and adequately informing citizens of health concerns without unduly discouraging travel and other important economic activity," he continued. "According to President Obama, swine flu is a cause for concern, but not panic. President Obama's measured and responsible comments are appropriate and should provide useful guidance to other elected officials."

And the Air Transport Association, the trade group for the airlines, sent a letter to the vice president expressing "extreme disappointment" in his remarks and saying that "no responsible officials or healthcare professionals have suggested that people avoid air travel."

Biden's office quickly put out the following clarification:

"On the Today Show this morning the Vice President was asked what he would tell a family member who was considering air travel to Mexico this week. The advice he is giving family members is the same advice the Administration is giving to all Americans: that they should avoid unnecessary air travel to and from Mexico. If they are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways."

Continued Biden Spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander: "This is the advice the Vice President has given family members who are traveling by commercial airline this week. As the president said just last night, every American should take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu: keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you're sick; and keep your children home from school if they're sick."

The vice president was not so alarmist this morning on CBS' The Early Show, where he reiterated President Obama's calls to avoid panic and take common sense approaches to minimize risk of infection.

"The best thing for us to do is for us to act as the president said now in a rational way," he said. "We're on top of this thing. We should be mitigating the prospects of it spreading. And the way to do that is to deal with all of the things that you know about as a mother: About having [children] wash their hands; you washing your hands; making sure that they're not in public places touching items that, in fact, have been touched by others, et cetera."

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by selenakyle May 1, 2009 4:41 PM EDT: I think Vice President Biden's statement has merit. Isn't the only way to keep an epidemic at bay is to keep the virus from spreading? And how do you keep the virus from spreading - by keeping people healthy.

Big business needs to get over it - always concerned about dollar green - isn't that the main reason why we are in our current economic crisis...I am enchanted by the fact that people never learn?; Reply to this comment


by bsfree May 1, 2009 7:45 AM EDT: I don't agree with everything Joe Biden says, but in the case of his swine-flu advice, his comments were taken out of context by the media again! He referred to members of his family not to travel, he did not say,all American's should refrain from traveling. He is being chastised by the media for speaking his mind, typical. I thought one of our rights as American's is freedom of speech. I think the media reports what they want to report, and sometimes take a story out of context. Next time get all the facts before speaking "off the cuff".; Reply to this comment


by An-Historian April 30, 2009 3:25 PM EDT: Vice President Biden's advice was totally correct. It's difficult to name another environment that is even half as efficient a viral incubator and spreader than a commercial airliner.

When you get on any commercial flight you expose yourself not just to the communicable diseases of those that share your flight -- you also expose yourself to the diseases of everybody that has been on that plane in the past, as well.

Commercial airliners truly are viral cesspools. They are the primary means by which all modern day pandemics are spread from continent to continent, and country to country.; Reply to this comment


by patocc123 April 30, 2009 2:55 PM EDT: Uh Huh?? And YOU told us George W. Bush was a great leader!! YOU are the LAST person on this or any other planet to be taking advice from right now. When you take over a Balanced Budget and Surplus, turn it into a massive debt, drive the economy into a ditch and deregulate us into the worst economic meltdown in our lifetimes?? I mean that's just NOT a very good record on success? Do you think?
Posted by skyk-2009
------------------------------
The surplus was not caused by the previous administrations policies. It was the IT Boom and it started before Clinton took office. When a mass of high paying jobs gets created more people pay taxes and more tax money comes into the government. This was not a policy. He did however unlike Bush and now Obama create mass spending. The Deregulations in which people like to refer to happened under the Clinton administration. It was a republican add-on to another bill. Oh yeah it passed with 91 votes. Hardly a 1-sided vote. So yes President Bush was not a good president but these problems where going to happen wether he was president or not. Bush's administration is at fault for not screaming at the top of thier lungs when they saw the problem which the democratic congress rejected. His attention was on the wars and not the economy at the time. So please quit spewing false information.; Reply to this comment


by specialty8 April 30, 2009 2:51 PM EDT: sky,
Maybe you should change your tape,you know"ditto head and it's all Bushes fault, and trickle down and Seig Heil" and sitting at the dinner table with BHO and watching him help people figure out how to pay their bills. He should know how to do that pretty good, just work the system.; Reply to this comment


by vietnamwar April 30, 2009 2:14 PM EDT: "Everyone from President Barack Obama urged calm yesterday..."

Except the Gaffe Machine Joe Biden, who says we shouldn't ride on subways or airplanes.

HUH ????; Reply to this comment


by gocubs58 April 30, 2009 2:06 PM EDT: The flu has already killed tens of thousands of people this year. That is not the swine flu either. People are getting upset about nothing. Telling people to stay inside and fear for their lives is ridiculous.
Posted by YCantWeAllGetAlong

I don't recall him telling anyone to fear for their lives...he simply stated it's best to be careful. And yes, the common strains of the flu does kill tens of thousands each year - usually the elderly and those with weak immune systems. THIS strain of flu appears to attack strong, healthy people ages 20 - 40, it's NOT the same thing.; Reply to this comment


by YCantWeAllGetAlong April 30, 2009 1:54 PM EDT: This is advice we should follow all the time. People often leave the restroom without washing. Then they touch shopping carts, payment machines, doors etc and spread their germs.

The flu has already killed tens of thousands of people this year. That is not the swine flu either. People are getting upset about nothing. Telling people to stay inside and fear for their lives is ridiculous.; Reply to this comment


by parisdakar April 30, 2009 1:48 PM EDT: Good old Joe!; Reply to this comment


by gocubs58 April 30, 2009 1:38 PM EDT: Wash Your Hands! It's not airborne, just wash your hands, alot.
Posted by mandylou4u

What are you trying to say - that Obama wasn't giving good advice??

From the CDC handout I received at work today:

Q: "What should I do to keep from getting the flu?"
A: "First and most important: Wash your hands."

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm; Reply to this comment