obviously, america and the world is worried about the pandemic flu. we have begun to discuss this this year back in april when we had a hearing on the h1n1 virus. i'd like to review some of the recent history. the department of hhs has responded by declaring a public health emergency which has allowed the food and drug administration to approve the use of approved anti-virals and other measures. the centers for disease control has responded by releasing anti-viral drugs from the strategic national stockpile. to date all 50 states have received their portion of that stockpile, which has been replenished through purchases. hhs is working with the department of homeland security and is coordinating response efforts. much of this work has been successful because we're not breaking new ground. this committee and the federal government has begun serious work back in 2004, so in 2009, while we're not totally prepared, we are better prepared than we ever have been. there are still some issues that should be addressed as outlined in the president's advisory co

officials are warning that the pandemic will hit poor countries especially hard. at the united nations meeting in new york later this week, those officials plan to ask wealthy nations to contribute to a special fund for the developing world. >>> for the latest on the h1n1 pandemic we're joined by our regular contributor when it comes to science, michael novacek, the provost of science at the american museum of natural history right here in new york. good to see you again, michael. >> good to be here. >> with winter just a few months away in the northern hemisphere, we have been hearing a lot of dire predictions about tens of millions of new cases of swine flu. first of all, how accurate is that? and well, how concerned should we be? >> the h1n1 influenza "a" virus as it's technically called is spreading very rapidly, could affect a large part of the population. on the other hand, we know that the mortality rates are not hugely severe. they're more comparable to that of seasonal flu, yet we have to take precautions and the vaccination is a very important part of th

as a former governor, we went through pandemic planning. i never dreamed i'd be sort of here with a pandemic, but we called together efforts over the years. so i think at a minimum what is happening over the next several months will enhance our entire public health infrastructure. having hospitals look at the spring where the gaps were, re-double efforts to get ready for the fall is enormously helpful, how they direct resources. looking at workforce issues, how to get, you know, vaccinations to people. a huge challenge and is an ongoing challenge is just information. how to make sure folks can access timely, accurate information in a very transparent fashion and walk that balance between complacency and panic but get people prepared and ready. i don't think there >> we know whether that's a natural disaster or a manmade disaster that that infrastructure strength, the communication strategies, working with the partnerships not only throughout government, but in the private sector is enormously helpful and is exactly what you go through regio

brazil is now reporng so 900 deaths due to the pandemic, more than any other untry in the world. according to the worldealth organization, the are now nearly 300,000 cases of swine flu worldwide with nearly 3,500 deaths. om hong kong today, there was some good news. at a meeting regional health ministers, the world health organition said that so far the1n1 virus hasot mutated into a more deadlytrain. hower, w.h.o officials are warning thathe pandemic ll hit poo countries especially hard at the united naons meeting in new york laterhis ek, those officials pl to k wealthy nations to contribute to a special fund fothe developing rld. >>> for the latest on the h1n1 paemic we're joined b our regular contributor when i cos to science, michael novacek, therovost of scien at the american museum of naral history right here in new york. good to see you again, michael. >> gooto be here. >> with winter just a few months awayn the northern hemphere, we've been hearing a lot of dire predictionabout tens of millions of new cases ofwine flu. fit of all, how accura is that? and ll, how concerned

i carry wipes with me. >> reporter: it has evolved to address any pandemic. it has created a site for workers as well as a toll free phone line. live from vien . aization. >>> court records say the bus driver involved in a crash this month has a history of trouble on the road. karla protector was driving an emdy bus within she struck a jogger. the 30-year-old was critically injured. according to the post the driver had been involved in two on the job accidents and received five traffic tickets in january. proctor is on leave financing the outcome of the investigation. a police corporal isn't or received a text message minutes before a crash. brian gay died in the accident, corporal mario chavez is being sued in court. the phone company representative tative was in the asked whether the corporal read the message. joe wilson has been reprimanded for his outburst during the speech last week. the republican shouted you lied as the president outrhined his plan before a joint session of congress. wilson sauce he has apologized. >> i apologize to the president, he a

as a former governor, we went through pandemic planning.i never dreamed i'd be sort of here with a pandemic, but we called together efforts over the years. so i think at a minimum what is happening over the next several months will enhance our entire public health infrastructure. having hospitals look at the spring where the gaps were, re-double efforts to get ready for the fall is enormously helpful, how they direct resources. looking at workforce issues, how to get, you know, vaccinations to people. a huge challenge and is an ongoing challenge is just information. how to make sure folks can access timely, accurate information in a very transparent fashion and walk that balance between complacency and panic but get people prepared and ready. i don't think there's any question what we do over the next several months will significantly prepare us for whatever challenge is next. whether that's a natural disaster or manmade disaster, infrastructure strength, communications strategies, working with the partnership not only throughout government

and this issue of pandemic is taken seriously. this impact is the restriction of information to information goes out very heavily to centers on garda. they tend to be very pandemic, speaking only to laboratory confirmed cases. and therefore giving an illusion that the number of cases in the country is relatively modest. as we all know, the system for testing and identifying will impact. so social communication is a big part of the preparedness, as well as invoking all the national systems of disaster preparedness and response, and linking a pandemic response to the national disaster plans, as well as updatg our hospital and help service plans in the caribbean. all caribbean countries now working on their pandemic plan revisions for hospitals and health services. and were having a meeting next week in barbados just a sort of make sure everybody is still on the same field and to identify any ongoing gaps. another thing that we actually managed to capitalize on his new technologies using illuminate, which is a software that promotes

against the emerging infectious diseases like pandemic influenza. our next witness is dr. jesse could men, the food and drug administration acting scientist and deputy commissioner for scientific and medical programs. previously, an infectious disease expert, was the director of the fda expert for biologics, evaluation, and research. channeling, it is a longstanding policy that we swear all our witnesses in. if you will stand and raise your right hand -- do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth if so, answered in the affirmative. you may be seated. let the record reflect that they entered in the affirmative. y&xdr. friedan, gçhwe will starh you and come right down the line. we have five minutes. when you start, the light is green. as you move forward, it becomes yellow which is saying you have one minute to summarize and then, after that, it becomes red. read all over the united states means stop. [laughter] you may proceed. >> thank you very much myth, mr. chairman. in the spring, i was the new york city health commissioner and w

we have been planning for pandemic influenza for years now. this has not caught us off guard. we have been stockpiling caches of supplies and equipment. we are fully repaired to meet the challenge of our community. >> reporter: when you say you have been preparing for this, we were talking a couple of years about avian flu and that would be the pandemic, stockpiles of virus for h1n1 versus avienna. do you have something that can meet the needs of h1n1 flu victims. >> we are working hard with the department of health and cdc to make sure we as a state and region are prepared. it is handled mostly at the state level but of course we have inventory at our local hospital and are prepared to meet the needs of our patient if they present with that. >> since school is back in session, are you seeing an increase in the number of patients coming in with h1n1 versus the summer? >> sure. it is busier than you would expect this time of the year but at faulkier hospital we haven't seen the surge they have seen in other parts of the nation, but it is widespread in virginia and we think it i

i lived in a community that is facing a pandemic. some years ago many in the community died of aids so when this child came the us i really wanted to help. >> help it did. >> we are one step closer to finding an hiv vaccine. >> the result of the human hiv vaccine trial shows that there is a chance of contracting the virus reduced by nearly one- third. >> this is a major finding. this is the first time that we have seen an hiv vaccine that cannot reduce the hiv infection. -- that can reduce the i checked -- hiv infection. it has taken us many years to get here. we are closer but not there yet. but we have a great deal more hope. >> the vaccine has been a holy grail for 25 years. the previous trials came up with nothing. the latest world health organization figures say that since it was discovered in 1981, 25 million people have died. in one year there were 2.5 million new cases. finding a vaccine is vital. results will be poured over by biologists across the world who have seen little in progress in decades. the vaccine is not going t

it mes to this issue ofiv, you know, finallye have a lder who not only acknowledges that this ia pandemichere in the united states, but is creating and will ilement a national straty and has also put together 45 miion dollar media cpaign that wl start now and will target the demographics andhe communities that he, affected e most by hiv/aids. so, you know, it is aittle -- uptting sometimes tha -- that we haveind of gon backwards in a way when it ces totigma or lac of conversation abo it or homhobia or incarceration or pfert or these other element that islay int the pandemic and the bla and lino communities in th united ates. it is upseing we haven't moved forwar buts as is often the word we have used a a lot lately and in the last year, there's hope. clearly it starts from leadership. tavis: iis the perfect emple of how hollywood can lead the discussion. the power it has to us it appropriately, to get o ahead of the story to make people wrestle with it. we talk about hiv/aids. i wated you over the years work not just on the scree but in the commuty and in a variety of ways. andhat is tt -

about it or homophobia or incarceration or profert or these other element that is play into the pandemicand the black and latino communities in the united states. it is upsetting we haven't moved forward buts as is often the word we have used a a lot lately and in the last year, there's hope. clearly it starts from leadership. tavis: it is the perfect example of how hollywood can lead the discussion. the power it has to use it appropriately, to get out ahead of the story to make people wrestle with it. we talk about hiv/aids. i watched you over the years, work not just on the screen but in the community and in a variety of ways. and what is that -- at the center of, clearly your love of humanity given all of the causes beyond hiv/aids that you attach your name to. >> the name card i have attached my name card to and working diligently in is the issue of climate change. i am currently honored to be vice chair of the board of trustees for water keeper alliance. we're a global organization that bobby kennedy jr. is a cofounder. our mission is to protect and preserve the waterways of the wor

. >> reporter: when pandemic and influenza struck the last two times in 1957 and 1968 -- >> the three astronauts about to leave for the moon have had flu shots. >> reporter: the information revolution was in its infancy. they are taking advantage of internet technology to track the current pandemic. >> one resource. >> reporter: at a children east hospital in boston, epidemiologist, dr. john brownstein developed an application for the iphone. it works two ways. >> it sends back to the phone alerts about h1n1 in your vicinity or where you may be. the second way, people can report about illness into the system. >> reporter: the trends google flu from around the world. in the u.s., it's been consistent with the cdcs reporting of the cases, from selected doctors and hospitals across the country. there's the combination of twitter and google earth. it shows people's comments about the flu or related problems and where they are in real-time. potentially identifying where cases are occurring and where they are most serious. >> you can see what's happening. >> reporter: another internet tool,

all of these things are uncertain in a face of an emerging pandemic. yet they all have a central -- centrally important impact on how significant the impact is. so here's what we watch. and this is how we see things. we watch in the first instance the evolution of both the virus and the expression of the disease on the ground locally. what is actually happening to folks? and how is the virus and the disease changes? we watch perception of the degree of threat. that is how fearful are people? locally and at the global level and how is this changing. we watch what people do, what do institutions do? and how do they response and react? these are the things that are going to determine how significant this impact is. so looking at that local dease outbreak and the global perception and response, it n has an intermediary so to spk. and this is the framework that we use to actually judge how things are developing. we ask, this is a scenario framework in which the outcomes -- the three prince pams outcomes one of which we have already gone beyond the false ala

it had to deal with any h1n1 outbreak follows the best practices set up world wide to address any pandemic and they are confident it will work here in case h1n1 rears. metro is taking pro active steps to make sure the transportation system doesn't become a breeding ground for the h1n1 flu this season. this includes stepping up an aggressive cleaning schedule for environmentally friendly cleaner. >> disinfectant on the stations. >> reporter: metro is educating workers on hygiene and installed hand sanitizers for staff. the p.-a system will make frequent announcements reminding passengers to wash their hands and use hankies or their sleeves when thanes. >> i watch my hands a lot and carry handy wipes with me. >> reporter: it is part of a program that has evolved to address any type of pandemic and coordinated with state and federal authorities as well as the centers for disease control. and metro says it has also set up a toll-free line and internet site for workers to deal with any type of h1n1 questions. reporting live, armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> and vaccines against t

. >> we are clearly in the middle of a pandemic. it is in at least half of the states or more in the country. >> reporter: according to the centers for disease control, least 26 states are reporting widespread flu activity, up from 21 a week earlier, with 99% of the strains confirmed as swine flu. so in what will be an unprecedented undertaking, health officials hope to vaccinate well over half the u.s. population in just a few months. the public that this vaccine is and what may prove to be the biggest obstacle is reassuring the public that this vaccine is necessary and safe. >> i don't think i've had the flu since i was about 15 years n't nt the swine flu. se i t >> i know it's not supposed to cause any problems, but i'm just not comfortable with it. >> this isn't as new as people might think it is. it really is a very slight difference from the seasonal flu vaccine that we give to people for decades with a very good safety record. and that's the message we want to get to people. >> reporter: but it's a vaccine that is also coming

health experts say a swine flu pandemic is sweeping the nation.s are reporting cases now? >>> all right, "prime news" is coming up in just a few minutes. we're going to be checking in with mike galanos. he has a preview of what's coming up at the top of the hour. you ready, mike? >> i think i am. >> let's check in with mike. we've been following this story about this horrible beating in chicago. there's been developments throughout the day. you're going to pick it up. >> yeah, i was listening to hln on the way in. it's like you come in and go, do i really want to watch this? obviously we do want to see what happened here, how could something like this happen. >> but man. >> we're going to show you the video. it is brutal. it's almost surreal to watch this as a 16-year-old kid ends up dead. we're going to find out who was this guy? derrion alberts. from all accounts an honor student, just a really good young kid with a bright future. but now he's dead. and a community and we all are left with so many questions. how does something like this happen?

as the flu pandemic strain is bringing out the injured german folk in all of us, companies are pushing products and cashing in. the numbers are huge. rick is here to break it down for us. can sanitizers are everywhere. somebody is paying for that. >> everywhere you look. there is no denying that we are in the midst of an 81 and 1 boom -- an h1n1 flu. companies are watching their bottom-line go through the roof, and you can track the profits like we tracked the virus. here there are whites, solutions, can sanitizers, ready for delivery all over the world, and business is booming. >> we decided to increase our inventory three times to make sure we are prepared this fall. >> that is three times what this manufacturer produced last year. but customers cannot get enough. clorox sales this quarter are 1/4 billion more than before the scare began. lysol is $0.5 billion. but they resist the notion that this is an attempt to cash in on a global pandemic. >> the real opportunity is focusing on the education and the importance of the product on going. >> so far, no one accuses the company's of pr

frankly, there are too many people dying because they do not have insurance, and we have a h1n1 pandemic, and i believe americans are sensible enough to know that we are already paying for, in essence, uncompensated care for citizens or non- citizens who go into hospitals and do not have insurance. we cannot wait, and the only promise that i signed the letter, he and others likewise signed the letter, for healthy individuals to come in and buy insurance on subsidized by any federal dollars, so, really, -- unsubsidized by any federal dollars, and we do not ask for their status. greta: no. 1, if something is catastrophic, we always accept them at the emergency room, and if someone is in a bad car accident, but the point i am trying to make to you is if we foster illegal behavior, it is going to foster more illegal behavior. >> i absolutely agree with you. we are going to engage in the immigration reform that addresses this, but we have the pending h1n1 epidemic or pandemic as it may be, an illness is not a respected. we have got to address this question -- and illness is not a respecter. g

science that this pandemic is now well under way. tracie potts, nbc news washington. >> of the 26 states reporting widespread activity, 99% of those cases have been confirmed as h1n1 virus. meanwhile, the flu has sit down an entire school district near houston, texas. all eight campuses will remain closed until thursday. school officials there say 15% of the students were absent yesterday so are 10% of the teachers are sick. health officials have determined that texas is one of the 26 states where flu activity is widespread, and they say more than half the cases are swine flu. >>> not just schools, but area businesses, too, are concerned about how the pandemic will affect them. this morning the greater washington brd of trade sponsored a seminar to discuss the impact swine flu may have in our region. about 25% of board members showed up for the seminar to get advice. the message delivered today, businesses need a plan. >> there's little predictable about this when it relates -- the 20% perhaps in your office may be one department at

. >> we are in a pandemic issue. i think there's more of how severe this pandemic will be within the state. >> it is still unclear as one dose of vaccine will be enough for children and pregnant women. health officials expect to know more and make necessary recommendations in the coming weeks. jennifer mitchell, nbc news. >> researchers have seen no significant adverse side effects during the clinical trials. the vaccine is expected to be available mid october. seasonal flu vaccines are available now and the experts recommend them. >>> "nbc nightly news" is next. >> we leave you with some of the sights and sounds from today's ceremonies in remembrance of 9/11. ♪ o say, can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ >> from this day forward, we will safeguard the memories of those who died. [ bell tolls ]

on the front lines of a pandemic that's just getting started. here in washington, the department of health and human services surveyed states in local areas to see if they're ready for pandemic flu. what they found, most have done something, but none seem to be fully prepared. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> experts say it's no surprise that older children may need just one dose of a vaccine because the older you are the easier it is for your body to fight the virus. >>> in less than two weeks, an ohio woman will give birth to her fourth child. but it won't be hers to keep. carolyn savage became an unexpected surrogate mother after learning the fertility clinic mistaken implanted her with the imbrio of another couple. she and her husband sean would not accept the clinic's offer. the biological couple after its born. during an appearance on "today" this morning, the couple discussed what's been a heartbreaking experience for them and how they're preparing for the birth. >> i think in the beginning we were really scared of that moment and i

during the early days of dhe 2009 h1n1 influenza pandemic that began last april there was considerable concern whether a vaccine would be in units genic and us in deed would induce what weould call a predictably protective immune response against the virus, in addition it was quite unclear how many doses would be required to induce such response and whether this cou bone without the use of autants. so clinical trials are an trrdinarily important part of the ongoing worldwide effort to develop vaccines tprotect th publicrom this virus and answer important questions regarding vaccineafety and and mutinous city. national instute of allergy and infectious diseas which is a part of hhs is currently implementing a series of vaccine trials, testing 2,009 h1n1 influenza vaccines in various populations including adults, the elderl children and pregnant women among oers. data from the of trials will helpnswer important qions and inform the development of recommendations for the unid states as wl as global immunizationrograms including the oimal dose and the number of doses for different groups.

they are at level two of the pandemic flu and leave policy. it allows them to telecommute. going back to work standards and advance sick leave bank. >>> a soldier from maryland is among the latest to die in afghanistan. 29-year-old sergeant first class was killed on wednesday. he was from glen burnie and faced out of ft. bragg, north carolina. maryland comptroller wants another term. the democrat from maryland filed with the board today to run for a second term of office. the comptroller collects taxes, regulates alcohol, tobacco and motor fuel industry. >>> in the 9 news now update, an announcement to cut 150 jobs in portion county is on hold until next month. the county is already terminated 55 positions but the state just cut another $22.7 million in funding to the county. union officials say county employees will learn by october 1st if they are in fact losing their jobs. police, fire and corrections officers are not expected to be part of this round of cuts. >>> a prince georges county attorney tells the "washington post" he's looking to appeal a civil verdict against

. >> reporter: the problem has evolved over the years to address any potential pandemic and coordinated with authorities and as well as the centers for disease control. metro says the guidelines will be in place until the h1n1 threat is gone. in vienna, virginia, 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> today house members get back to work. yesterday they voted 240 to # 179 to formally admonish representative joe wilson of south carolina. seven republicans voted for the measure. 12 democrats voted against it. the office of the house historian says it is the first time in 220 years a member has been disciplined for speaking out against the presidential speech to a joint session of congress. >> and former president carter believes that representative wilson's outburst was based on racism. he went on to say there is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an african- american should not be president. >>> there's no word if a johns hopkins student will face charges for killing an intruder in self defense. police say the student heard noises in his garage and he grabbed a samurai sword for

>>this particular flu, this pandemic flu virus that has been circulating in the spring and is now in the schools is a virus that's generally a mild disease, but it affects young individuals. every once in a while you get someone who gets seriously ill and dies. >>there's good news when it comes to the vaccine due out in october. it apparently works with one dose, not two as previously predicted. that means twice as many people can get the vaccine. officials say young people and pregnant women will be the priority. >>>president obama held a health care rally in minnesota today. in washington d.c. conservatives held a rally of their own. we have the report there about the message of the reform plan. it was pretty clear. >>reporter: in obama we don't trust. >>no more lies. >>reporter: that was the generally feeling here among tens of thousands who rallied at the capital. larry smith came from michigan. >>plenty to make for ourselves. they apply it to whatever they think they need to spread it on. reporter: most of the frustration felt here centers on fears about the president involving

first, do you fear a major pandemic in this country? >> i think that's a possibility. my daughter who's a freshman at university of colorado had the swine flu a couple of weeks ago. she got over it in five days. she was moderately sick. had a little cough afterwards. you know, fortunately that's the way this disease is looking at the moment. and the dire predictions of its turning into something much more serious so far haven't come true. if they don't come true, i think we can all take a deep breath and be thankful and look at this as good practice, because inevitably at some point a serious strain of flu is going to come around. so for the moment, i think -- >> larry: there will be -- >> there will be a lot of cases but it doesn't look as if it's that serious. >> larry: there will be two shots. the standard flu shot, which you can get now a lot of places have it, and the 1st of october the swine flu shot. do you expect it to be effective? >> i think there's a good chance it will be effective. i don't know that i'd want to be first in line to get it. i'd rather wait a

and on this day in 1918, the deadly flu outbreak hit the city of philadelphia as part of a wider pandemickilled up to 100 million people around the world. doctors in the united states first noticed the 1918 flu also known as the spanish flu the previous march that summer it spread to europe and by the fall the illness had spun completely out of control. 12,000 people died in philly. in the rest of the u.s., five ou

population could catch swine flu during a pandemic. a vaccine against h1n1 is in the works and could be ready by next month. >> paul: one other medical note tonight: accused swindler allen stanford is back in a texas prison after being hospitalized last week with a racing pulse. doctors say stanford has a circulation problem in his leg, which can be fixed by surgery. stanford took sick just hours before he was slated to appear in court in houston. he's accused of masterminding a $7 billion fraud involving certificates of deposits and an offshore bank in antigua. he says he's innocent of all the charges. >> susie: ebay is cutting losses on its skype experiment. it's selling a 65% stake in the internet phone service to private investors. the price: about $2 billion. that's far less than the $3.1 billion that ebay paid for skype in 2005. the buyer: an investment group including silver lake partners and netscape founder marc andreessen. ebay will now be able to focus on its core online auction business and its successful paypal electronic

more nations with nuclear weapons, melting ice caps and ravaged populations, persistent poverty and pandemic disease. >> reporter: the president is using his visit to the united states as an opportunity opportunity to meet one on one with several world leaders. he met with japan's prime minister this morning and is scheduled to sit down with russia's president this afternoon. but the president's staff went to great pains to make sure he did not run in to libyan president moammar da gadhafi. the president is calls on the u.n. to enforce tougher sanctions against iran for  continuing the nuclear weapons program. cbs news, united nations. the government says its terrorism warning has been extended beyond transit systems and now includes hotels, stadiums and entertainment complexes. the alert follows the arrest of a colorado man with alleged ties to al-qaeda. wit johnson has the latest. >> reporter: security remains tight through new york city today as investigators search for more suspects in a possible terror plot. in an exclusive interview with 60 minutes, attorney generalled called the thr

the world health organization declared the h1n1 strain a pandemic that's killed 3500 people worldwide>>> 6:48 rate now. there are measures you can take to protect yourself from getting the flu. union memorial hospital suggests putting together a flu prevention kit with items that you can buy at any store. lisa grub says the kits should include alcohol gels, tissues, masks, and wipes. >> and other items that you can put this this kit again. you want this to be something you can put in your purse, take with you, put tylenol. there are disposable thermometer strips you can put in if you start to feel like you are ill, and also gloves. >> the kit can protect against the seasonal flu as well. so a good thing to have on hand. >>> tonight a "20/20" about a story of six of 11 women who contracted hiv from a man they contracted from the same man and none of them new about it. he was sentenced to 45 years in prison. abc's elizabeth vargas sat down with the women to hear their story. >> he made me feel like i was the only woman on the face of the earth. >> at least 11 of his former girl are frie

metro's response is part of a program that has evolved over the years to address any potential type of pandemic and is coordinated with state and federal authorities as well as the centers for disease control. andrea, metro says these guidelines will remain in affect until the h1n1 threat is gone. live at theave nen that metro station, rye armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> thank you, armando. >>> the announce of a new health care reform plan is expected later today. montana senator max baucus is expected to offer a ten-year plan which would ensure nearly every american is insured. it comes with a price tag under $900 billion. he hopes the committee lib deliberation on his plan will begin next week. >>> today house members get back to the nation's work. yesterday they voted 240 to 179 to formallied admonish joe wilson. the office of the house historian says it is the first time in 220 years a member has been disciplined for speaking out during a presidential speech to a joint session of congress. >>> former president carter believes wilson's outburst was based on racism. he went on

. >>> maryland has reached outbreak status with the h1n1 pandemic. with the vaccine still weeks away health leaders face a new threat. i'm marybeth marsden. the state's schools and hospitals and clinics have experienced a surge in swine flu cases. as jeff hager reports they are bracing for double duty. >> reporter: from the first closure of some schools in the spring to the return of students and of the h1n1 virus to college campuses just a few weeks ago, the so-called swine flu has infected hundreds if not thousands of marylanders including howard county health officer dr. peter bielensen and his daughter. >> we had almost assuredly h1n1, typical flu-like symptoms, 101 temperature, body aches, cough, lasted for five or six days. >> reporter: at its peak the university of maryland college park had almost 100 students report flu-like symptoms in a single day. but now that number is down to less than a dozen per day. and they are also recovering in a matter of days. >> it clearly is quite widespread but it's nowhere near as severe as people had feared.

vaccine's ready, school nurses are taking temperatures and isolating students, on the front lines of a pandemic that's just getting started. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> the federal government recently surveyed a few states about their level of preparedness. they found none appear to be fully prepared to handle the swine flu. >> well, stay with us, everyone. "news 4 today" continues now at 5:00 a.m.

troops in afghanistan is the answer and whether the government is ready for a potential h1n1 flu pandemic. stay with us. you like your health coverage, but worry what happens... if you get sick, or change jobs. eight ways reform matters to you. a cap on deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. no annual or lifetime limits on coverage. preventive care. covered. pre-existing conditions. covered. no higher rates due to genlér. extended coverage for young adults. no more coverage denied if you get sick. and guaranteed renewal, even if you do. learn more today. >>> the aarp booth here at the minnesota state fair, taking a colonel poll. the republican "waiting in line for obama care." we're back with senator klobuchar and senator nelson, two democrats. i want to move to another issue at the fair the h1n1 flu virus. four confirmed cases, others suspected. senator klobuchar are you confident the administration has a plan to n place to deal with this as america goes back to school? >> they have a plan but everyone knows there will be challenges. they've been good at getting out front on the challenges

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. >>> maryland has now reached outbreak status with the h1n1 pandemic. and with the vaccine still weeks away health leaders face a new threat. after a recent surge in h1n1 cases maryland'sners case of seasonal -- first case of seasonal flu has been confirmed. health officials have been advising people to get their regular flu shot while waiting for the h1n1 vaccine to become available. >>> we've got hopeful news in the fight against -- against the hiv and aids. for the first time an experimental vaccine cut the risk of infection with the virus. the u.s. military and the health officials said in the news conference yesterday in bangkok that the vaccine cut the risk of becoming infected with hiv by more than 31%. and the result came after the world's largest aids vaccine trial of more than 18,000 volunteers in thailand. >>> we're going to take you to atlanta, georgia, where they are still dealing with problems with the floodwaters receding. yeah, after 20 inches of rain in 36 hours in some spots people are now aware of the risks of the water that has now b

according to the centers for disease control, we are now in the middle of a swine flu pandemic. cdc officials say cases have been on the rise for the past six weeks. today 26 states are reporting widespread flu cases. nearly all of those are confirmed to be the h1n1 strain. a new vaccine is set to be available some time over the next two weeks. >>> hospital are now taking aggressive steps to keep the swine flu out. the system in northern virginia will soon prohibit any visitors under the age of 18. karsay spencer is in fairfax now with their plans. darcy? >> reporter: jim, chances are if you have a friend or loved one staying at one of the affected hospitals, you could be asked to stay away, to stay home. this only affects in-patient care. the new rules start october 1st. the hospital system that will yous five hospitals took a major step in preventing the spread of swine flu. the system is limiting visiting hours and banning children from visiting impatient units starting on thursday. >> we always report first do no harm is to protect the people who come inside our boundaries f

this year, including 500 deaths. 2,000 have died worldwide and yet, some reports suggest a deadly pandemic later this year is not likely to materialize. >> the frequency. the occurrence of h1n1 is going to be sizeable and the question where the variance is low. usually associated with people and other health issues. we hope that it doesn't get worse that than -- worse than that. >> reporter: virginia governor tim cane met with the homeland security. d.c. mayor and maryland governor martin o'malleto talk about efforts to combat the virus. the best -- . >> the best place to go to get information is flu.gov. >> reporter: napalo towno said -- napolitano said congress made available $7 million to help states walloped by budget cuts. >> we understand that we'll be able to, notwithstanding the challenges, to distribute vaccinations as they're available and manage to push national stockpiles should that necessary in the course of this emergency, we have to. >> reporter: and some question the value of vaccines. >> i don't know about those. i got the flu shot and i ended up coming down with the flu.

. >> a new strain of swine flu that could turn into a a pandemic? laughter ] sometimes id do, but you know that's when i've -- >> conan: okay. >> i've had a little whiskey. >> conan: yeah, yeah. [ light laughter ] >> but i do know this. a word cannot be good when it's a combination of panic and epidemic. [ light laughter ] >> conan: so how did this -- [ laughter and applause ] you say this didn't go well last night. >> well, no. [ laughter ] it was a particularly unfunny day. hey, i see squeaky fromme is in the news. [ laughter ] >> conan: what? >> now, you may remember squeaky fromme, folks, as the charles manson acolyte, who many a time you could see in front of the courthouse here in l.a. with a you know, a

biological experiments run amok, a diminishing food supply and a pandemic that leads to the end of theworld as we know it. the book is entitled "the year of the flood," part of a genre atwood calls speculative fiction. >> the only reason i use that term is science fiction often means to people planet x, talking cabbages, very far-out things, the attack of blizzard- men. that's not what i write. by speculative fiction, i mean planet earth tech technology that we have today or are developing, stuff we could actually do, things that might really... could conceivably happen. >> brown: atwood is a prolific master of many genres, 17 volumes of poetry, essays, criticism and short stories and 12 novels including the 2000 booker award winning "the blind assassin." she's perhaps best known still for her first foray into speculative fiction, a 1985 novel "the hand maid's tale" later made into a film which portrayed a future world in which women were sub gated and some owned by men for the sole purpose of bearing children. her recent novel and now the year of the flood look at what could happen as

we're at a calmer moment, and we're not right up against the heat of the kitchen of a real major pandemic. a lot of experiences out of the last mexican swine flu built on top of that the time that we've had before that with the h1n1 strain, the avian flu. we've been trying to work with the national governments, the national health organization to make sure we've played our role in getting ready for potentially a major outbreak of a pandemic. taking this quiet moment to just try and brief the world's media to ensure as we go into the next winter we're well-prepared and help them be prepared. >> there are many, though, within the past month or so have come to me and have said well, it's actually not quite as bad as what we may have assumed a couple of months back and in reality most people if they get ill, catch the flu, then they're sick for a couple of days and then it goes away again and in reality the side effects of some of these flu treatments, that's a larger worry. >> well, the interesting thing here is, until there were products like tamiflu and the competitor product from glaxo, n

the doctor says h1n1 is a pandemic but the seasonal flu still kills 36,000 people every year. the seasonal flu clinics in howard county were moved up to make way for the h1n1 vaccine but people we talked to are skeptical about that new shot. >> number i see perfection i don't want more junk in my body. >> reporter: the doctor insists there's no reason to worry. >> the process by which this vaccine is made is exactly the same as every year's seasonal flu vaccine. there's no reason to think it's not safe. >> reporter: one can be painful enough. now doctors are doing what they can to have patients get two shots this flu season. in columbia, cheryl conner, abc2 news. >> howard county's drivethrough flu clinic is scheduled for october 4th, from 10:00 to 2:00 at the health department it's free to the public. harford county also bumped up its seasonal flu clinic by a month. it will be at cal ripken stadium september 29th from 10:00 to 2:00. flu shots cost $20 there. >>> also in howard county, monday night at 7:00 community leaders will hold a town hall meeting will h1n1 and seasonal

>>reporter: the pandemic is increasing. the virus is still in all 50 states and widespread in 21.visits to doctors and hospitals for flu-like illness continue to climb sharply. >> it's twice what we would expect for this time of year. if you talk to doctors, they tell you, i'm seeing lots of flu this time of year. >> reporter: most cases are moderate or mild. there are occasional hospitalizations and rare deaths. at least 114 children in the u.s. died of swine flu. the majority of cases continue to be children and young dulls.ç it's why the virus is so common on campuses like this one. they report 83% of colleges and universities surveyed reported cases last wk. up 11% from the week before. doctor purdy says students with mild cases learned to take car of each other. >> they learned how to get food. they learned how to ask for them and to isolate themselves. they are doing well. >> reporter: the federal government said the first doses of the vaccine will be available the first of october in nasal form. robert bazell, nbc news, durham, north carolina. >>> the man often called the f