As concerns about the H1N1 virus escalate across the country, WXXI in Rochester, NY, presents an hour-long special designed to educate viewers on the pandemic strain of flu on from national healthcare series, Second Opinion.

Hosted by Dr. Peter Salgo of New York Presbyterian Hospital, the program features the panelists Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat, MD, Director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), CDC; Mark Shelly, MD, Epidemiologist, Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine, Highland Hospital/University of Rochester Medical Center; Richard Barbano, MD, Chief of Neurology, Rochester General Hospital; Lisa Harris, MD, Primary Care Physician, Temple Medical Internal Medicine and Pediatrics; Janet Corson-Rikert, MD, Executive Director, Gannett Health Services, Cornell University; Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Executive Director, Boston Public Health Commission.

• NY1 reports that more than 15,000 people were vaccinated against the H1N1 virus at clinics across the city over the weekend, a huge increase over the previous weekend. The Department of Health has now opened the free clinics to pregnant women, anyone between the ages of four and 24, and anyone from age 25 - 64 with an underlying medical condition. Find the vaccination site nearest you.
• Amid concerns about thimerosal, a preservative used in flu vaccines that contains mercury, the Centers for Disease Control has released Frequently Asked Questions about the preservative. Thimerosal has been reviewed by the federal government due to concerns about exposing infants to levels of mercury.

In the episode “Getting a Shot: You Can Do It!” from the PBS kids series “Sid the Science Kid,” Sid and his friends learn the basic science behind germs, viruses and vaccines using age-appropriate vocabulary and scientific concepts that have become a hallmark of the series. “’Sid the Science Kid’ explores the science behind the everyday experiences of a preschooler and we know that getting a shot can be scary for many children,” said Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company. “This special episode is an opportunity for us to help kids understand why they are getting a shot while providing parents and caregivers with helpful resources to handle this important issue.” Watch the full episode here, and watch more “Sid the Science Kid” online here. “Sid the Science Kid” airs Monday through Friday at 9am on THIRTEEN.

WNET.ORG correspondent Rafael Pi Roman speaks with Donald G. McNeil, Jr., Science and Health Reporter at The New York Times, about President Obama’s declaration of a H1N1 national emergency, and the reports of shortages of the H1N1 vaccine.

• Federal health officials announced on Tuesday that one dose of the H1N1 vaccine protects pregnant women against the flu, but American children under 10 still need two doses. The announcement comes after clinical trials of the vaccine, conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The officials also announced that a panel of experts from outside the government will monitor vaccinations for any unexpected side effects over the coming months.

 

• Here in New York, the Department of Health has expanded H1N1 vaccinations to middle schools and high schools. Middle school and high school students can be vaccinated this weekend. The Department of Health is opening vaccination clinics on the weekends for students for the next five weekends beginning this Saturday, November 7. While the centers are intended for middle and high school students, they will be open to all students, ages four and up. Anyone under age 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and all students under age 18 will need a parental consent form.

  To find the nearest clinic or for more information, visit the DOH website.

At the height of the H1N1 flu virus outbreak in the spring, WNET.ORG Special Correspondent Rafael Pi Roman went to the streets to document how the “swine flu” affected everyday New Yorkers. Watch his report now.

As we approach the onset of the fall flu season, how is the latest H1N1 outbreak affecting you? What do you think of how the federal government and the city are handling the crisis? Give us your comments … More …

• On October 23, President Obama declared the H1N1 “swine flu” outbreak a national emergency, allowing hospitals and local governments to set up alternate sites for treatment to handle new patients. Federal officials emphasized that Mr. Obama’s declaration did not mean that the outbreak of the H1N1 flu nationwide has gotten worse.

 

• The New York City Department of Health is monitoring both seasonal and unique H1N1 influenza activity during the 2009-2010 flu season. Daily and weekly updates (posted every Friday) track trends in influenza-like illness and show which influenza viruses are currently circulating in the city.

Correspondent Rafael Pi Roman speaks with New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley about the expected return of the H1N1 virus during the normal flu season.

WNET.ORG Special Correspondent Rafael Pi Roman speaks with Dr. Philip Alcabes, an infectious-disease expert at Hunter College, about the reclassification of the swine flu as a pandemic, and what that means for New York.

WNET.ORG Special Correspondent Rafael Pi Roman goes all over the city to document the impact of the H1N1 virus, talking to doctors, parents, politicians and regular New Yorkers about how they’re coping during the flu outbreak.