the cdc is a wonderful institution. the world's experts in many or most public health problems are here and it has been a delight to get to the people here and learn what people are doing. some of the directions we're going are to strengthen science, to make sure we have the best possible information to address whatever the problem as, whether new manufacturing technology and making sure workers are safe or h1n1 or smoking or obesity, to make sure whatever we are proposing and studying is based on what is actually happening and what is likely to help people most. a second key priority is strengthening state and local health departments. state and local departments are were the action is that and that's where prevention and response happens. cdc exists to help state and local health departments to do a better job of protecting people and their areas. i want to make sure everything we do as an agency is practical, helpful and focused. as a city health commissioner for seven and a half years in new york city, i saw many way

the cdc is now strongly recommending that all pregnant women be vaccinated with the swine flu. >> it's sort of nerve wracking. you're the guinea pigs. i don't know what's worse, getting sick from the vaccine or getting sick from the swine flu. >> reporter: the recommendation comes after a study, released last month, showing that pregnant women are four times more likely to be hospitalized by swine flu than other people. >> clearly influenza is a problem for pregnant women. it increases with each trimester, your risk for hospitalization and adverse outcome is greatest the closer to delivery that you become. >> reporter: the cdc has urged pregnant women to get season flu vaccines for years and says it's safe for all trimesters. but a surprisingly low number, less than 15%, actually get vaccinated. >> move your arm for me. >> reporter: the national institute of allergy and infectious disease says it is testing the swine flu vaccine on children, adults and pregnant women next month. but many moms worry about whether the new vaccine will be tested enough before millions of doses are distrib

start thinking about to every home schooling plans in place using both the phone and the internet. >> the cdc says that in the case of a severe outbreak, school districts may want to actively screen students for the virus each day in addition to seeing them farther apart in class. >>-- ceding them fartherhaving e report in class. >> an initia-- having them sit t in class. >> exercise together, eat healthy, go on a picnic. go for it won't together so you were talking. that is foreplay. >> the economy may be affecting your wallet, but what about your love life? if you are experiencing a recession in the bedroom, we have tips to get you back on track. >> ht doppler shows a little rain to our west and that is science captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> group of maryland firefighters are headed west to fight wildfires. they left for oregon. the fire fighters have not been given their exact assignment yet but it will be on the job for at least two weeks. >> it will be nice with all the money. that alw

the cdc budget is about $220 million in total, annually. ealth and to supporting kenya. >> let me show you, chuck, that you see or hear a little bit of what we experienced today. we talked to josephine mum al about the children there. 38% are hiv positive, as we said, and many of them have been raped by, as she described it, men who believe that the solution -- the cure for their hiv is to rape a child, a virginia. let's watch. >> what is life like in the slums? >> okay. life is unbearable. people are desperate for barley. they earn a less than $1 a day with no hope for tomorrow. >> no hope for tomorrow. and you introduced me to a child, 6 years old, who was raped by a customer of the child's mother. how can that happen? >> yeah, here people believe that when somebody is positive, when he rapes a girl who is a virgin, he will get cured. >> this man is in jail. what is the future for these children? >> the future, we have no hope for these children, because parents do not have means to care for their children. and in order for them to eat, th

. >> reporter: this doctor of the cdc says a big reason the virus is not causing even more deaths is that the virus strikes mostly younger people. >> they're the ones getting hospitalized and having serious disease. the overall numbers are going to be lower because they are able to tolerate those kinds of problems. >> reporter: what really are the risks to pregnant women? although the absolute numbers are small, pregnant women are at far higher risk from complications from swine flu than the rest of the population. until a vaccine becomes available doctors strongly advise that pregnant women seek medical attention immediately if they have a fever or signs of the flu. what should parents of children with allergies to eggs do to protect against this virus? when a vaccine is available, like all flu vaccines it will be grown in eggs so people who have egg allergies will not be able to take it. those people will have to carry out the precautions like hand washing and covering coughs, that everyone should follow until there is a vaccine. >> for very young children who can't get vaccinated

. >> reporter: data gathered by the cdc shows that even now, way outside of normal flu season, people are continuing to get infected throughout the country. 37 children have died already omd as schools open, the director of the cdc said there is a good chance things will get far worse. >> the next few weeks and months will be a very challenging time. >> in about 52,000 doses -- >> reporter: hospitals, schools and colleges like emory university are preparing. >> having students living together on campus, they're sharing a lot of the same bedding and a lot of the same information and a lot of the same cups. and we're trying to get them to make sure that they are not spreading the germs any more than possible. >> reporter: but for students, the worry is not so great. >> priorities, first off, is definitely relationships and girlfriends because, you know, we're in college. and then after that it's books, how to save money, what's the best place to eat on campus? and who's got the best dorm rooms? and i guess for swine flu, probably a little bit farther down the list because that's just no

now that the cdc has announced the nation is one month behind mass producing a vaccine. instead of 120 million doses by mid october, there will only be 45 million doses available with another 20 million expected to arrive each week after that. >> we are worried that there will be people sick who could have been prevented, hospitalizations that could have been prevented. >> the single biggest obstacle has been the h1n1 virus itself. it has been slow to grow inside eggs, the key factor in growing and effective vaccine. >> if it multiplies slowly, it is hard to get the vaccine manufactured quickly. >> to the cdc will focus first on the most abominable groups -- health-care workers, pregnant women, and children. but they warn everyone is at risk. a 26-year-old victim in massachusetts had no underlying health conditions. >> it is serious in people with no underlying health conditions and about . >> if a school bus if eastern is sick, they have got to stay home. >> health experts are urging everyone to make sure they get their regular flu shot as an added precaution. >>> an al

the cdc is now strongly recommending that all pregnant women be vaccinated with the swine flu. >> it's sort of nerve wracking. you're the guinea pigs. i don't know what's worse, getting sick from the vaccine or siingerockg e m fe swthu.inflno lalerefter alereedas ased last month, showing that pregnant women are four times more likely to be hospitalized by swine flu than other people. >> clearly influenza is a problem for pregnant women. it increases with each trimesr, your risk for hospitalizatn and advee outcome is greatest the oser to delivery thatou become. >> reporter: the cdc has ued pregnt women to get seon flu vaccines f y years and sayays is sasafe for all trimesterers.s. but a surprisingly l number, vaccinated..%, actually geget >> move your arm for m me. >> reporr: the national instute of allergy and infectious disse ss it is testing the swine flu vainine on children, , adults and pregnant womenext month. but ny moms worry y about testeded enougugh befo millionsf doseses are distributed. >> the rk to pregnant women from theisease is substaial. the risk of a vaccine is theoret

gosh the school districts are telling me that they're following the cdc at their county health department guidelines. i am here outside the elementary school. they have 21 suspected cases of swine flu this past spring, none of them confirmed, none of them serious. hundreds of new schoolteachers are attending orientation this week, including recent state graduates. >> i am so excited, this is all i have never wanted to do. >> they may also be dealing with the swine flu. >> i think it is definitely something that i will have to take precautions against. >> scrubdown with cleaner, staff and students will see a lot more hand sanitizer. there will be emphasis on hand washing. six students were told to stay home for a week. the cdc says that kids can come back sooner. >> you are supposed to be fever free for funded -- for 22 hours without thuse of metals and -- at madison -- medicine. >> at that point, they can get free shots. all designed to reassure parents. her daughter is going to going -- going into pre-k. the hope is that good sanitation practices will keep swine flu and check and the sch

we will look inside the cdc as it prepares for the worst. that is later in our medical alert. >> as of last night was not enough, more stormy weather is an afternoon and night time forecast. details in just a moment. cloudy skies in baltimore. towers and thunderstorms (employee 1) subject: urgent!! bob!! i need the baker file stat!! reply!! still making changes. circle back later!! what's with the yelling? oh, our internet slows down during peak hours so sending e-mails and large files just takes forever. so, we just yell. ben!!! thanks for the flowers!!! i thought you hated me!!! lol!!! semi-colon! right parenthesis! winky emoticon! (announcer) switch to verizon and get a dedicated high speed internet connection from our office to your small business so you won't be slowed down even if your neighbors are online. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v today and for only $79.99 a month for 12 months with a 3 year contract you'll also get our award winning internet security suite, unlimited nationwide cal

now, as i mentioned before, the cdc select agent versus the ccl. there are similarities but then the cdc then regulates a transfer of pathogenic organisms within or among u.s. labs. and the b.i.s. however controls these pathogenic organisms to other nations. and as i mentioned before, the vast majority of cdc agents are controlled by the b.i.s. which means it 98% of the agents are controlled. however, the cdc sometimes add new organisms onto that list. and so it takes -- there's a lag time between what the cdc have on their list and what the control have on their regular list. so in other words it takes time for them to be updated. but in general, we try to keep the cdc select agents and the commerce control agents similar. so that there is -- there will be an overlap. and in addition to data, the b.i.s. control organisms and not on the select agent list. so in other words, the b.i.s. would control genomic control. if the organism is controlled than the genomic materials is also controlled and this would be listed under 1c53. what we mean by geneti

the cdc has reiterated its warning that the virus is unpredictable. d in, there are now reports out of chilethat swine flu has been detected in turkey. >>> the man hunt is on for a former reality star. the authorities are searching look oog for 32 ryan jenkins. he's accused of killing 28-year-old swim suit model jasmine finori. last couple the couple -- last week the couple checked into a hotel. her body was later found in a dumpster. >> ryan jenkins is an animal. what he has done to jasmine is unspeakable. >> investigators believe jenkins pled to his native canada, abandoning a boat at a marina in washington state and crossing the border on foot. >>> there's been a change in plans for the funeral of michael jackson. he will not be laid to rest on his 51st birthday. no run has been given for the change. jackson's family was planning on a private, daytime service august 29th. now the pop super star will be laid in a great maseleum. at this year's california state fair, four rides from the singer's neverland ranch will be featured including a jeep ride

what will the cdc be advising in those situations? now we are not advising that schools close. what we are doing is keeping a very close eye on what's happening with the flu during the fall and the winter, so we're looking at the numbers of hospitalizations and deaths, we're looking at whether or not there are changes to the virus that make it seem that it's getting to be more severe. if that does happen, then we may recommend that schools close but right now, we are not recommending that, even though we would expect to be seeing some influenza in schools. >> i understand that these decisions are up to the schools about when to close but if my child's school had children dying of h1n1 and the cdc didn't advise them to close down, i would find that a little strange. >> again, it is up to the schools to make that decision and it really is a local based decision. you need to keep in mind that closing schools can have a lot of negative consequences and based on our experience in the spring and the summer, we really think those negative con

>> guest: there are five target groups discussed with a committee that we use frequently that the cdc relies on with the immunization practices and it is targeted with five groups pregnant women is at the top of the list because is pregnant women in general are prone to severe disease and we see that with h1n1, caregivers of individuals of babies less than six months, health-care workers people on the front lines, young individuals healthy for between six months through 24 years and adults non elderly between 18 to 64 which have underlying conditions that compromise their immune response in drugs comment transplants common diseases that compromise cardiovascular later. >> why not elderly? >> it is not that they cannot get this vaccine i want to make up point* between this and the seasonal but if you look at the history of this pandemic over the last several months it is appearing to spare the elder of the very strongly suggesting if you were of the older age group have been exposed to a similar virus or have been vaccinated with a vaccine that gives cross protection sometime earlier i

at the cdc's labs, 2,000 samples of human and animal flu virus from around the world arrive every month for genetic and structural analysis. >> cdc was originally communicable disease center. >> reporter: dr. michael shaw is assistant lab director. how different is this from anything circulating for a while in the united states? >> it's extremely different. this particular combination of genes that has never been scene in humans or animals anywhere ever before. >> reporter: so far there is some good news. as the virus spreads throughout the world, it is changing very little. that means three critical things. it should continue to cause mostly moderate or mild disease. the vaccine now being developed against it should work well. and it is still treatable with the anti-viral drugs tamiflu. the lab studies show the virus spreads more by touch and not so much through the air like seasonal flu or the common cold. but flu being flu is subject to change unexpectedly. so we have to be alert for something that might change that picture. >> reporter: it is that risk of change that worries scienti

the cdc did a study on direct costs, what to expect. and just looking at direct health costs or impacts on the health system, they came up with a figure that was widely quoted for many years in excess of $100 billion. and there wasn't much done building on that until h5n1 emerged. and with the emergence of h5n1, it became much more heavily studied topic, especially in the aftermath of sars. and the best that he, in my judgment so far, has bn lowly institute study. is a lowly institute on there, but that's a typo. it should be low we. and their work puts a bad pandemic that, you know, these are events that would be in excess of $1 trilln impact on the global economy. for showing moderate carb mild, they put at $300 billion mark in terms of the overall impact our turn to that but i share this with you because i want to give you a sense that there was a great deal of people who had weighed in on the subject of the overall impact. and that the ranges were quite severe. tovey knows exactly significant impact will be. what we do have with h1n1

. >> this goes along with the new guidelines from the cdc on school prepared tness for the swine flu. >> there must be put into a room until their parents or guardians can come pick them up. >> status should not return to school until 24 hours after the virus has gone away. closing a school is an option, but only in rare instances according to the obama administration. >> once you close a school, it causes a very significant ripple effect. children need to stay home. >> that is why more school districts are being advised to get creative with their solutions. >> educators need to think now about having temporary home plans in place using the internet, whether it is just for a few students or the entire school. >> the cdc also says in the case of severe outbreaks, school districts may want to actively screen students for the virus each day in addition to singing -- ceding them further apart in class. >> studies of the swine flu vaccine will start next week at the university of maryland school of medicine. 67 young adult volunteers, 67 senior citizens will get a detailed screening an ori

marianne silver is live from atlanta tonight where the cdc is based. should people stop using these rapid tests or what is the advice? >> hi, shepard, let's face it, if you think you have swine flu, if you are experiencing symptoms. you probably want to know right await a minute the cdc says that these tests can be effective in detecting swine flu if there is enough of the virus present when it's tested. but, like you said, they do produce a lot of false negatives. they say if somebody does have symptoms, doctors should go ahead and treat that patient as if they have swine flu. quicker tests have been around for quite a while. they are used to detect seasonal flu. doctors who use these tests say it can be effective in testing the swine flu if they're used properly. shepard: where do they stand on getting a vaccine to the public, marianne. >> many drug companies are fast tracking, trying to get the vaccines out as fast as can. swissmaker are injecting humans in germany, the u.k., the u.s., also china. chicago-based baxter they are using brand new method

the cdc recommends the vaccine for girls as young as 11 and 12. more than 7 million americans have received the injections. the study reports 700 serious medical problems, including blood clots and 32 cases of death. >>> the first phase of protections for credit card holders begins tomorrow. you have 45 days to reject proposed interest rate increases. companies will be mailing bills 21 days before the due date. some companies are raising interest rates before all these rules kick in. >>> people were injured in the texas when a tornado touched down on a department store without warning. it swept through beaumont, texas. a shopping center was turned upside down as the powerful storm scared shoppers in their dressing rooms and flipped cars in parking lots. >> the roof came off the corner over there. >> what i was seeing was all the are roof coming in. >> responders treated tend to victims for minor cuts and scrapes. that could have been so much worse. >>> let's talk about the bill. its category 4. >> it could brushed close to bermuda. we will keep a

this is from the cdc surveillance system looking at influenza-like illness. one of the things that folks need to remember is that we don't -- we don't really count influenza. we do have a national surveillance system which we do have providers who send us specimens to give us an idea of when influenza enters the community and some basic idea which we extrapolate up from as to how many people might be sick with influenza. and then we count hospitalizations and deaths because those are much more specific and then you have to not only come in with a disease that people think is influenza but you have to then test for it. you have to get a positive culture. and if not all those things are done, then you really don't get an accurate count. so-so our surveillance system to give us an idea when a disease enters the community and some understanding of what's going on. and this gives you an idea of what actually happened for this current bout of influenza-like illness and week one is in january and then it moves on to the years. you can see we're now below our national

the cdc is issuing new guidelines for how schools should have a possible outbreaks this fall. we get the latest from our reporter in washington. >> the cdc is not recommending schools to close a as a result of an possible outbreak. >> closing of schools is really indicated. >> officials recommend sick students stay home only one day after they are well, not a whole week unless the virus get worse. sick family members and staff may have to stay home. schools may have to screen students, or they may have to sit them further away from other students. >> we want to keep the schools open. >> teachers are preparing, and dozens in case schools closed. >> want to make sure we have packets and materials ready in case the date cannot be in school. >> our students have to keep learning. >> stennis are preparing to hold public health clinics and to basinet students on site. clinical trials are under way. >> this is going to save a lot of lives. >> they hope that the vaccines will work. for most people, the virus may be annoying, but not life- threatening. from washington, wbal-tv. >> the d

they could be contagious even if they follow the cdc rules. interesting to see how it plays out over the fall, because if you're only telling people to wait a day after the fever, that kid can still be contagious. >> yeah, of course, fall, winter comes, that means people start thinking about vaccinations, when do you know you're a candidate, perfect candidate, for such? >> well, first they have to have a swine flu vaccine and it's on the way. they're testing it now. and federal officials hope it will be on the scene in the middle of october. now, not everyone will be able to get it when it first comes out. there is a priority list. so, let's take a look at the people who are supposed to be at the head of the line for the swine flu vaccine. pregnant women. everyone ages 6 months to 24 years. and parents of babies under the age of 6 months and their caregivers, too. also emergency and health care workers, and 25 to 64-year-olds who have underlying health problems, such as asthma. those are the folks who are supposed to be first in line. >> oh, o

an update from the cdc. 436 people in the united states have died of the virus.than 6500 have been sent to the hospital. unlike a rational -- a rationalflu, -- a reseasonal flu, this one remains active during the summer. >> we know where there was h1n1, there were explosive outbreaks in schools. we also know that in the spring, we have less information than we have today. we know more how it behaves. we know more how to control it, what it does and does not do. it is clear that closure of schools is rarely indicated, even if h1n1 is in the school. shepard: specific guidelines were released in case about break. we are following this from atlanta. what are schools supposed to do when kids start getting sick? >> these new federal guidelines advise schools not to shut down during an outbreak because it is disruptive for students and their parents. instead, they say they should do everything they can to try to stay open by taking steps right now to make sure that happens, like setting up rooms for quarantining and also working with parents of they can make arrangement

the cdc issued new guidelines for how schools should handle possible culprits this fall. we have the latest from tracy pot in washington. >> the cdc is not recommending that if swine flu hit again this fall, isolate six students and staff, send them home. very few schools should have to close. >> closure of schools is rarely indicated even if it is in the school. >> the recommended six students stay home only one day after they are well, not a whole week unless the virus get worse. in that case, they may have to stay home. schools may screen students and turn them away, moved desks further apart, even hold classes outside to prevent the virus from spreading. >> we want to keep schools open. that is our mission. >> school districts are preparing on one lessons in case school clothes close. >> whether or not they are in school or not or if the school closes, our students have to keep learning. >> they are preparing to vaccinate students on site. this woman volunteered to test the vaccine. >> it could save a lot of lives. >> the trial will determine if two shot three weeks a

this week the cdc said the vaccine is related to 32 unrelated deaths, dizziness and blood clots. it considers the vaccine safe, this year all girls in the the 6th grade above are be vaccinated but parents can opt out with no explanation. >> there are some women that would really prefer to have vac -- vaccine. that should be their choice. it shouldn't be mandated that girls should have the vaccine. >> if there is any concern about the vaccine, we can address that with them. >> reporter: today students who need to get their vaccinations can head to the department of health administration clinic on georgia avenue and tomorrow from 8:00 until 4:00 there are four temporary sites at kelly miller middle school, belue high school, kramer middle school and coolidge high school. again, they can get the vaccinations including the hpv vaccine. now the cdc does say that this vaccine, despite the side affects reported, the risks are no greater than any other vaccine and one doctor told fox 5 that the biggest concern for his patients and parents is not necessarily the side affects, but worries

ahead on the news at 10:00. latest cdc figures and how they are preparing for a vaccine. >> i am joy lepola. , live at the warrant apprehension task force. where tonight we are hoping to . >> i am joy lepola. here live at the warrant apprehension task force where tonight we are hoping to lock up several fugitives. two are wanted for murder. one is wanted for attempted murder. recently we have seen so much violence playing out on the streets of baltimore. with the shooting of raven wyatt and murder of gerard reed. here is your opportunity to provide police with information on the whereabouts of three fugitives in a safeway. we just want to you pick up the phone, and call us. we have a team of detectives standing by to take your call. they will not ask personal information. other than the suspects that they want. here they are. we have 17-year-old maurice brown, wanted for murder. of a man on may 8. brown is 5'5, and weighs 115 pounds. he is known as reecey. and 27-year-old elijah jones, wanted for attempted murder. 5'5, and

meanwhile, the cdc issued new guidelines today for how schools should handle possible outbreaks this fall. we get the latest from tracie potts in washington. >> the cdc is not recommending extra screening, but fifth swine flu hits again this fall, have masks on hand. very few schools should have to close. >> it is now clear that closure of schools is rarely indicated, even indicatedh1n1 is in the schools. -- even if h1n1 is in the schools. >> kids with symptoms may have to stay home and schools may screen students and moved desks further apart and even whole class is outside. >> we want to keep schools open. that is our mission. >> other school districts are preparing online lessons in case schools close. >> if we have a family that does not have internet access, we want to have packets of material ready so you can come by the school and pick those up. >> whether or not they are in school, our students have to keep learning. >> clinical trials are under way and there are volunteers better testing the vaccine. >> it could save a lot of lives. >> the trials will determine if the three s

that's what we heard from the cdc and the presidential panel this week. how much of a strain -- letters have gone out, you mentioned -- to health care providers. >> we are in the process of reaching out to health care providers not only for this activity but also the specter of back to school immunization that's going on right now. so, there is concern that there will be significant pressure on hospital emergency departments and intensive care units should there be a large number of people presenting for care who are extremely sick. part of the reason why we're focusing on this prevention message up front and why we want to empower providers to be able to take good care of people in their sort of care settings, if you will, and provide good advice to those people and not necessarily immediately refer them for emergency care if it's not necessary. so, we are going to be asking our providers to be a bit more sort of -- to use my own name -- vigilant. >> it is going to be so appropriate. >> very important. >> dr. tillman, we had talked about supplies and we

in a pinch, the website for the cdc is really terrific. you go in and go flu.gov or cdc.gov/flu, there is information there. host: next call, hi there. caller: i have not had a flu shots since the mid-1970s house when the gerald ford hong kong flu debacle happened. do you have a study who people and it -- of people who do not receive flu shots on a yearly basis, and as someone in my age group? guest: first of all, 1976 was not hong kong flu. it was the swine flu of 1976, but i get your point. certainly people who do not get a flu vaccine -- that does not mean that they are going to get the flu, or they may have enough background immunity if they get exposed to the flu, and they actually do not get infected or ill. we certainly have done studies over the years, and the studies point to the fact that your chances of getting the flu, if you do not get vaccinated, are clearly greater than if you do get vaccinated. that is the study that we do whenever we get involved with a new vaccine, and they are usually done after the season or during the

today the cdc made an announ. regarding the swine pflu. it is an announcement for which ny school officials and parents have been waiting. they are advising officials to do all they can not to close schools if there is a surge this fall. tracy potts has our report. >> reporter: the cdc is not recommending extra cleaning but did tell schools today if swine flu hits again this fall, have naps on hand. isolate students and send them on hand. but very few schools should close. >> it is rarely indicated even if h1n1 is in the school. >> reporter: officials recommend sick students stay home only one day after they're well, not a whole week, unless the virus gets worse. in that case, kids with chronic illnesses or sick family members may have to stay home. schools may screen students and turn them away, move desks further apart. even hold classes outside to prevent the virus from spreading. >> we want to keep schools open. that's our mission. >> reporter: fairfax county virginia and other districts are preparing online lessons in case schools clo

and jonathan serrie is at the cdc conference where this is topic number one. yesterday, signs and i just came out with the report that to just the possibility of this. does this match up with what the cdc is saying? >> the cdc welcomes the report but say we need to view this report in the context of planning. cdc officials say it is the role of government to be prepared for the very worst. martha: i thought we had some videotape there. talk to me about these advisers who want to speed up the vaccine production? so many mothers across the country are about to send their kids back-to-school, and the big fear is there will not be enough vaccine to go around to protect them. >> they predict there will be an initial 45 million doses at least. that is about half the number of doses that are used for an entire flu season. officials are optimistic there will be enough to go around. and shortly after the initial doses come out, each week, additional doses will follow up. advisers are urging them to ramp up the process, hoping to get the vaccine as early as september. cd

been young girl was can't form words hours after they've had the vaccine. >> reporter: this week, the cdc2 unrelated deaths, dizziness and blood clots although it still considers the vaccine safe. starting this year, d.c. city councilman dated all girls in the sixth grade or above be vaccinated but parents are informed they can opt out without explanation. >> all of our forms have information about the vaccine. >> reporter: here at this clinic, the department of health is also taking extra steps to educate parents. gentleman we all have a counseling station that, if a parent has a concern about any vaccine, we'll be able to address that with them there. >> reporter: dr. david downing says the risks are no greater than other vaccines. his 14-year-old daughter got it. >> it is a individual choice. if somebody looks at it, on the medical grounds, the benefits far outweigh the risks. >> it is a decision some say rest with doctors and parents, not politician and schools. >> there are some women that would really prefer to have had vaccine. that should be their choice. it shouldn't be a mandate

the cdc expects vaccines to be available by october. >>> just in time for back to school, virginia's tax free holiday. from now until sunday you can pick up school supplies for under 20 bucks and clothes and shoes f a hundred backs. maryland and d.c . not offing the back to school tax. >>> remember the one, the arlington rap. we introduced do you a local comedian. now there's a new video making its way through cyber land. this time it's all about fairfax. >> your kids can't count. >> not much is known about the new artist. check it out for yourself on myfox5dc.com. you'll find story right there on our home page. >> i think he was wearing a steelerjersey.. >>> just a couple of clouds out there. it will tap the heat just a little bit. stop looking at my cheat sheet. friday night free and clear of problems. it looks like it will be glorious. many places dropped to 58 degrees. that's up heard of in august. we're in the heart of the t dog days. it does not look like they will get started tomorrow. keep that in mind. today's high 86 degrees. dulles 84. baltimore 80. frederick 82. wincheste

the cdc deputy director believes the spread of the flu will be worse among children. >> when school starts again, there will be the likelihood those folks most likely to get/vv the school age population will be back together and you will see an increase in disease again. >> reporter: spike in the flu cases in the fall could be followed by the regular seasonal flu that would come in the winter and hit elderly people harder. >>> in maryland another death from the h1n1 flu. an elderly suburban maryland man marks the 7th death due to the flu in the states. health officials say their biggest concern is the new school year. they are convinced the illness will make a comeback this year but say school closures are unlikely. they advise sick people to stay home. >>> time for another living smart report and jessica doyle is joining us with a look at the rules of tipping in these tight times. good morning. >> good morning. hardly -- a lot of people hardly have enough money to eat out at big restaurants these days yet alone leaving a fat tip and waiters say since the economy took a turn for the worst

i would like to have steve from the cdc answer the specific vexing question. why 30,000 foot view is that we are very much on target. we're working with five different manufacturers. they are preparing, as we sit, for target date of about mid 0- october for the production lines to begin. we never anticipated that all the vaccine would be available day one. it would be on a rollout basis. but i would like to call on the admiral to give you specific update on the vaccine. >> thank you, madame secretary. our intention was really to reiterate that this is something that is evolving, and to be as open as possible with what the actual situation is at this moment. there are efforts underway as we speak to increase the number of doses that are available to address this situation, but i think the one thing we ought to expect is as this process goes forward, there will be fluctuations in those numbers. in terms of the impact on the date that vaccine will be available, there are only so many people you can vaccinate at once, so i think that as we go forward, the total nu

i know you've been watching and listening in to what's happening, what is the cdc saying? e be doing something different than what we've been doing? >> it is going to be a little different than it was in the spring. if you remember in the spring, heidi, what was going on, the cdc was encouraging may be too strong a word, but the cdc was saying that's good, we think you should close down. however, now they are going to announce this morning that basically closures are really up to the schools. they're not giving schools any guidelines. as a matter of fact, a senior federal official told me the whole tone is going to be schools should stay open even when they do have children who have swine flu or staff members. so let's go over the -- sort of what's going on here with the update and we'll talk about some of these weirdnesses as heidi just said. schools will get to decide when they close and also that kids can return to school 24 hours after their fever ends and the schools will emphasize teaching respiratory etiquette,which is a new word, cough or sneeze into your leave, was

the cdc says it is not the most likely scenario. h1n1 virus does not mutate and get stronger, the death toll may not be that high. >>> soldiers will be heading to the battlefield wearing new flame-resistant uniforms. the maker of the uniform says it self-extinguish self-extinguishes. there have been a lot of burn victims because of ieds. >> it's a terrible injury to have and it takes years to recover from those. >> he says the uniform absolutely makes him feel fmore comfort. >>> a new study in the new england journal of medicine says out of close to 1 million patients, nearly 70% got twice as much radiation from things like x-rays and ct scans than they would from natural sources like the sun. >>> how would like a house that is 92 feet wide and 20 feet long. check out the asking price. $2.7 million! check it out. it was built in 1873 in what used to be an alleyway. so narrow as an alleyway. tiny little house. i guess the advantage would be less vacuuming. but for 2.7 million, maybe you'd hire a maid or something, but goodness sakes,

the cdc deputy director believes that the spread of the flu will be worse among children. >> when schooltarts again, there will be the likelihood that those folks that are most likely to get h1n1 the school- age population will be back together and you will start to see an increase. >> reporter: the secretary believes closing schools pre- emptively would not be the answer to stopping a flu outbreak. >>> two northern virginia congressman are holding meetings today and you are vine ited. the first begins at 1:30. it is hosted by gerry connolly and it will be at the green spring retire community in springfield. and then tonight, congressman jim moran and dr. howard dean will lead another meeting at 7 p.m. at south lakes high school in reston. >>> a zoning dispute in poolesville is pitting neighbor against neighbor. it all started when the couple who live on the left side of a pipe stem driveway received permission from the town to open up optometry offices in their home. their neighbors, don and linda barnes say the tail part of the business, selling contact lenses is flooding the street wi

speaking of which the cdc is racing to get a vaccine ready. to have 40 million doses by september and another 120 million doses by october. they say they could even start distributing the vaccine for all of the clinical trials have been completed. stu and thank you. >> dozens of u.s. students got up in the h1 and one scare you trip to china are now finally home. they were quarantined by the two-step by the chinese for two students tested positive for the virus. after being confined for weeks in china, all the color back in the u.s. the rest are still under quarantine in china. we are told it will be able to return home once all of the tests negative for the virus. >> searching for a way to offer affordable healthcare has some experts looking at using health care cooperatives. what exactly are they, and even more important, will they work? anita vogel takes a closer look. >> health care cooperatives or co-ops have been around for many years, but there are only a handful around the country. >> a true co-op is nonprofit, is run by its own members,

now the cdc is correct mended that the school stay open, isolate the students and masks, give them masks, and send them home. >> i think it's a better approach because it impacted the county wide i think on a school-by-school basis would be the best way to handle it. again, it's up to the parents if their child has a sniffle or anything like that to send a child to school. >> my concern would be whether or not they caught the infected child in time and whether or not they've taken the necessary precautions to get all of the children that may have been exposed. >> reporter: prince george's county plans to offer flew clinic shots during the flu season and clinical trials have begun for a flew vaccine that's come out in october. some say they'll pass. >> when i was younger i had a bad reaction where it gave me convulsions and it wu really sick. stuff like, that especially with it being new, i'm scared with my kids trying it. >> it's expected to come in two doses, three weeks apart. that would be in addition to many of the flu shots that many people receive every year. >>> florida senator me

. >> the cdc says those people are experiencing flu-like symptoms must take home for at least 24 hours after the fever has dissipated. >>> no storms right new in the area but things could very well change tonight. >> it looks like we're seeing that heat and humidity out there once again and there's some showers and thunderstorms mainly in southern maryland, southwest of d.c. and southeast of d.c. we had a few strong thunderstorms down to our saint mary's county where we had a tornado warning about a half hour ago but that's since expired. making its way out not mouth of the day in the chesapeake bay and looks like it will stretch across south eastern portions of the state in maryland and virginia. so still a little bit of activity down there we're kind of keeping an eye on. but that shouldn't effect us. still a line of showers and thunderstorms firing up west of harrisburg and around the suburbs of pittsburgh. so we'll continue to watch that a little bit. there's still a chance for us to get shower and thunderstorm activity later tonight. look at all the lightning data to the north alo

that's why the cdc is worried. tell your kids good hand washing techniques, don't share food, utensils, things with that. and be more careful. >> what about the younger set of students also heading back? some of them have already started. k-12 students that aren't living together but they're in close contact with other children, what should parents take for them? >> i think all the schools are getting prepared. they're going to have a lot of the anti-bacterial hand sanitizers, which is important. you have need to teach little kids to cover their nose and mouth when they're coughing. if you have a child that's sick and you need to tell your college students, too, if they have a high fever and they're sick they need to stay home. the cdc put out recommendations for the college that if they live close to home, pappas they should actually go home. so as not to spread it to everybody else. it spreads very quickly, we know from campuses here. >> shannon: talk about tamiflu. is it effective? should you try to get your hand

. >> the cdc says that in a case of a severe outbreak, school districts may want to actively screen students for the virus each day. >> meanwhile, the fifth death has been related to the swine flu in maryland. >> now, your insta-weather plus forecasts. >> it was a comfortable on this day in the baltimore area where the normal high temperatures were way up there. it was 59 degrees this morning. that is six degrees below the average. it was 82 for the afternoon high. the norm is 86 and the record high as 105. look at the mountains, cool and comfortable. the morning low was 47 degrees. that is not bad for august. load to mid-50s in the suburbs. it was much warmer around the shore, but as you get inland, temperatures dipped into the fifties. 81 -- as we head into the night, we see these clouds coming in and in the first size of an approaching warm fronts and that scenario means it will not be quite as cool tonight. it will be 60-67. high pressure north of us. we're seeing clouds and showers and thunderstorms. this is a stormy weather rolling through chicago. as the jet stream changes, this area

meantime, the cdc continues to monitor the development of the vaccine.ore you indulge in a late- night snack, consider how much sugar is actually in it. the american heart association says we're all eating way too much sugar. they recommend when then only consume 6 teaspoons -- 6 teaspoons a day. men can only consume 9 teaspoons. instead of throwing candy and soda, nutritionists recommend fruit and lean protein. there is a powerful new video that has surfaced on the internet, and it shows teens the dangers of testing while driving. we want to warn you, the pictures are dramatic and frightening, but the message is very real. tom has details. >> from the police department, haunting video, a dramatization aimed at a specific audience. [crash and screams] >> but driver name cassis' survives, but the accident she causes kills four people. taxing -- texting while driving is a global problem. people died after a los angeles train driver was distracted. while the government does not know the number and cost byron texturing, collisions jumped 23 times while texti

now, the cdc has also announced its h1n1 school plan. schools should try to stay open if the h1n1 flu hits. officials also say patients who get sick including children can return to school or work 24 hours after their fever breaks instead of the full seven days previously recommended. don, back to you. >> thank you very much. stay with eyewitness news for complete flu watch coverage as well. for more important information on swine flu and the bank of stories that already aired, go to wjz.com. >>> today also marking the one- year anniversary of an awful and fatal accident on the bay bridge. a tractor-trailer plunged off the eastbound span and into the water. the driver 57-year-old john short was killed. police say another driver candy baldwin was responsible for the crash when she fell asleep behind the wheel and the rig swerved to avoid her vehicle. they are installing a new guardrail system. >>> investigators are busy looking at the -- or looking at the busy flight path along the hudson river up in new york city where a plane and a helic

the cdc also studied the number of americans who have died from hiv/aids. more than 11,000 in 2007. that's down 10% from the year before. and the police blotter found fewer deaths, too. homicide deaths down 6.5%. and deaths from accidents, down 5%. >> david muir reporting. >>> up next, nascar takes over >>an fd lottery fever grips the nation. powerball and megamillions both with giant jackpots. ev >>> a parade of nascar's best driverpreceded predent obama and jimmie johnson on to the white house south lawn. johnson's number 48 car was also there. the event honored johnson's accomplishment. but the president used it to pay tribute to nascar's support of u.s. troops and its record of community service. >>> some baseball highlights now. we get those from j.w. stewart at espn news. >>ood morning. we start with the matchup of division leaders. the cardinals at the dodgers. adam wayne wright going for his 15th win. wayne wright serves it up to casey blake. his 14th homer of the year. wainwrig wainwright. the thousand gets away. pujols moves to third on the year. he would score on matt hol

the cdc is expected to weigh in. and if and when a final report is released, the cdc's final recommendation also be completely voluntary. >>> colleges and universities across the neighs are gearing up for a possible outbreak of the h1n1 flu, also known as the swine flu, colleges such as the university of pled m.d. are doubling their efforts to keep students both healthy and safe. >> some colleges are already seeing an outbreak of the h1n1 flu as the students return to the dorms t r. at the university of kansas, there are 200 suspected cases. 100 cases at the university of tennessee, and more than 50 cases reported at the university of alabama. >> every time i see somewhere, i can wash my hands. i'm pretty careful what i touch. >> reporter: at the university of maryland, students are getting a crash course on hygiene, the moment they arrive on campus. >> we want students not to attend class if they're not -- if they're feeling ill, and we have asked them to prepare food kits for themselvess so they can have nourishmen