The title of a recently released ABC News article is "Children Begin Receiving Swine Flu Vaccine". This is necessary as kids are one of the most vulnerable groups that are likely to be severely affected in the event of a mass swine flu outbreak, along with the elderly (i.e. 60 years of age or over), those with chronic medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, cancer, Alzheimers, etc.) and health care workers (swine flu is easily transmitted between humans and health care workers need to get to patients as part of their job, the definition of "close contact").

According to Dr. Richard Besser, ABC's senior health and medical editor and a former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "There's not enough vaccine for everybody" which is disappointing and contradicts an earlier report that there was an adequate of vaccine for everyone. "But some people in these states (specifically, Illinois, Georgia and Nebraska) are getting vaccinated". Approximately how many people are we talking about here, Dr. Besser? Can you give us an estimate? "We're seeing (that) there are some states that can EXPECT TO get it SOON". Which states are these, Dr. Besser and how "soon" are we talking about? "Over THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, the vaccine will flow about 20 million doses every week". How many weeks is a "few weeks"? 

Meanwhile, doctors and nurses say that since news of this vaccine came out, the phones in their offices have basically been ringing off the hook. According to Kathy Paterno, a registered nurse at Westchester Pediatrics near New York City, "As many people who can GRAB CALLS have been". The phrase "grab calls" implies/signifies urgency/alarm/fear. 

Besser continued: "It will be many, many weeks before the supply of vaccine catches up with all the demand (this was incorrectly written in the ABC News as: "It will be many, many weeks before all of the demand for vaccine catches up with the supply". Exactly the opposite is true: there aren't enough doses of swine flu vaccine to go around). "THE SUPPLY WILL NOT BE THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE". If "quite a while" means into the peak flu season, there will be serious consequences because of the almost inevitable event that the swine flu virus will combine with one or more strains of the seasonal flu to create a much deadlier virus.

"Le Bonheur Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and Wishard Health Services in Indiana were among the very first hospitals in the nation to receive vaccines on Monday. They vaccinated about 150 and 100 staffers respectively. Both said that, so far at least, the deployment of immunizations has gone smoothly". OK, in the battle against a deadly, maddeningly unpredictable and erratic virus, there is now at least some good news.

According to Susan Cooper, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health after the LeBonheur vaccines arrived, "This has been a shining example of no delay". People have had to wait long enough. "The vaccine has come out. It's come out a little bit earlier than expected". Again, this is good. "It hit the ground (running) and we were able to very quickly start the immunization process and that's something I think that we should be very proud of". 

Why did Le Bonheur get the H1N1 vaccine so early? Out of necessity as there have been almost 6000 in Memphis alone, with 100 of these people requiring hospital treatment. 

Cooper continued: "Since Le Bonheur is the premier pediatric hospital in that area, it would make sense to make sure (that) their work force is fully protected". Yes, it would.

"For Wishard, based in Indianapolis, it may have been a matter of GOOD HOMEWORK". When there is a pandemic, it is essential to plan ahead and ANTICIPATE what COULD happen next.

So how did Wishard get vaccines so quickly? According to Collette Duval, director of communications for the Marion County health department, including hospitals in Indianapolis, "Indiana was one of the first states selected because they were one of the first states to have their paperwork in very quickly". Bureaucracy is always a factor.

However, here's a major disadvantage: According to Cooper, "What we know is that this nasal mist that's been distributed cannot be given to pregnant women or children or adults with chronic disease". This is a HUGE disadvantage because these groups are the MOST susceptible to an outbreak of a major disease. "Health care workers certainly need to be at the front of the line because if any Tennesseean gets sick with H1N1 OR HAS A HEART ATTACK or has any (other) condition" that requires swift or even immediate medical attention, "  we want to make sure that the health care work force is sufficient to take care of their needs".   In other words, A-H1N1 may or not be fatal, BUT a heart attack certainly is.

According to Michelle O'Keefe, Wishard's director of public affairs, "My sense is people understand that health care professionals will be the ones taking care of people SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE IMMUNIZED". This is a common thought pattern. WE EXPECT doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to take care of us when we are sick or injured SO IF DOCTORS AND NURSES START FALLING ILL TO SWINE FLU, THERE MAY WELL BE A HUGE HEALTH CATASTROPHE.  "We want our employees to be here and be well and I get a sense that people understand that". EVERY organization SHOULD want this.

"Hospital officials said (that) they could not predict what MIGHT happen as vaccines become available to the general public". "could not predict what might happen" is scary.

According to Sara Burnett, a Le Bonheur spokeswoman, "We've had questions about when is it available. We've referred these back to the Tennessee Department of Health" and they don't have precise answers as to when vaccines will be available for everybody either. So, Burnett is essentially saying that 'Sorry, I can't help you'.

Meanwhile, doctors' phones are ringing off the hook with patients' calls about swine flu, vaccines and when they can get them. According to Dr. Randy Drexler, assistant professor of clinical family medicine at the Ohio State University medical center, "I'm getting POUNDED. People want to know when they can get it and they want to be placed at the top of the waiting list".

According to Geeta Nayyar, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at George Washington University, "Yes, patients are asking when the H1N1 flu vaccine will be available. SO MUCH SO THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO COORDINATE THEIR OFFICE VISITS WITH WHEN THE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE SO (that) THEY CAN MAKE (only) ONE OFFICE VISIT" which, again, makes sense because it makes no sense to keep going back to the doctor if the doctor doesn't have what we need.

Finally, Cooper "has chosen to look on the bright side": "THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING".   Translation: this may well get much worse during the peak flu season. "So again, we will continue to see vaccine being delivered to our state and HOPEFULLY, within A VERY FEW WEEKS, there will be enough vaccine for any Tennesseean who wants to get it".  So, the word on the street on the street as far as swine flu is concerned is "hopefully", implying uncertainty.