H1N1 Info is Scarce, Confusing for Many

People Most at Risk Aren't Getting Vaccine, Others Ask Where It Is

(CBS)  Though the H1N1 flu is now widespread in the U.S., a new statewide poll finds that a majority of Californians do not plan to be vaccinated. Many Americans who do want the vaccine say the government's message is garbled and constantly changing, reports CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan.

Mary Katz has twin boys and is nine months pregnant with twin girls. She is in one of the prime target groups that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says should get the H1N1 flu vaccine. So she called her obstetrician, the CDC, and Health and Human Services for four weeks to try to get the shot. But she had no luck.

"Every week I came here and I'd see the sign that it's not available yet but we want you to get it," Katz said.

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Katz's doctor, Victor Klein, said that while the message is clear, the delivery is slow.

"The CDC, the health department said everyone should get it, but it's on short supply," said Klein, an obstetrician/gynecologist at North Shore-LIJ Health System.

The CDC said Friday that the amount of vaccine available has doubled in the past two weeks - up to 38 million doses. But a new survey says that only one in three parents was successful in getting the vaccine for their children when they tried.

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To some parents the CDC's messages are confusing.

"There is no message, that's the problem," said Les Paige. "Our pediatrician didn't get any doses."

Others say there are too many messages.

Today the Gibbs family was able to get three out of their four kids vaccinated. But not Alexa. She didn't fit the age requirement at this clinic.

"To me she's the most vulnerable, she's only 13 months, so yeah that's frustrating," said Carrie Gibbs, Alexa's mother.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, interim deputy director for science and public health at the CDC, says she is aware of the frustrations people have had, both from confusing information and the lack of vaccine.

Mary Katz finally got her shot just in time - a week before she's due to give birth to her twins.

The CDC expects 8 million more doses of the vaccine to be available next week, but exactly where those vaccines can be found and who gets them is still a source of concern for parents.

[mooseit]

rf35: Since folks with your mindset shouldn't have any kids, them having four shouldn't be a problem.

[rf35]

This shouldn't have been an issue for either of the parents mentioned in the article...neither one should have had more than two children.

[rf35]

This shouldn't have been an issue for either of the parents mentioned in the article...neither one should have had more than two children.