Verify Verify Verify

When we're not posting we're researching and following up stories and responding to questions posed by friends and other interested parties. We're here. We're just not here. Mostly we're investigating two reports. When volunteering and two different times we were distributing two (2) different vaccines. We're still awaiting the Department of Health's (DOH) for the District of Columbia response to the current distribution of vaccines. Whether its seasonal or the actual long delayed H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine. Our experience contradict each other.

Opponents to the vaccine said they weren't going to take the vaccine because the Obama children haven't taken it. We can report that they have taken both vaccines provided by the District of Columbia's Department of Health (DOH). " President and Mrs. Obama have not yet been vaccinated for H1N1, and they will wait until the needs of the priority groups identified by the CDC – including young people under the age of 24, pregnant women, and people with underlying conditions – have been met. The girls' H1N1 vaccine was administered by a White House physician, who applied for and received the vaccine from the DC Department of Health using the same process as every other vaccination site in the District."

What we have problems with is the waiting on the supplies if you're not in a high risk group. The problem is those in the "high risk" group don't think of themselves as high risk. Children and their parents are a high risk group and there's no way to prevent your getting the flu that's approved by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Their solution in the absence of the vaccine: "Take these everyday steps to protect your health."

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100°F or 37.8°C) or signs of a fever (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®)
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

Here's what the CDC said at their answer line concerning an email received suggesting ways of actually preventing the virus: "Thank you for your inquiry to CDC-INFO. In response to your request for information on H1N1 influenza (flu) and the use neti pots and sinus rinse kits, we can provide you with the following information. CDC does not test, evaluate, or endorse consumer products. Product safety and efficacy testing is under the purview of other Federal government agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). You may contact the FDA at 1-888-INFO-FDA or through their website at: http://www.fda.gov You may contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 800-638-2772 or through their website at: http://www.cpsc.gov/ The spread of 2009 H1N1 virus is thought to happen in the same way that seasonal flu spreads within homes or communities. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people who are sick with flu. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it, and then touching their mouth or nose before washing their hands.

Until a vaccine is available, the best way to help fight novel H1N1 flu is to cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue away. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Stay home if you're sick, and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them."

We didn't ask about NETI pots. We sent them the email we received. Their stock answer isn't very comforting. So we go with eating OLIVES available from your local dollar store or grocery for less than $1.00 a can. Added to your meals. The CDC might not endorse the method but we do!