Fears Rising About H1N1

VIENNA, Va. - (WUSA) In many moms circles, getting your child the H1N1 vaccine is the hot topic. Some say they're willing to wait in line for hours to get it.
"What ever it takes," says one mom names Puja. Her worries were elevated when she recently visited India where the virus is also spreading fast.   "It's really bad there.  Everybody is wearing masks and not going out in public."

Puja'a daughter is 15 months old, within the age limit to get the vaccine from Fairfax County's Health department (6 months to 36 months).  But Sara Weiss has older children and can't get it yet. 
She's concerned because she believes H1N1 is a more serious virus than the seasonal flu.

But Reston pediatrician Vincent Ascrizzi says it's a misconception that H1N1 is worse.   "Fortunately, this flu isn't any more serious than any other flu.  In fact, there was another flu a few years ago that had a punch to it and people were pretty sick."


Elissa Morrison 8 year old daughter Rachel came down with the swine flu on Monday.   She says it came on fast, hitting her with  a headache and back-of-the-neck ache.   She knew exactly what it was because so many of her friends had already had it.

Elissa kept her home all week until today.   "She would spike a fever, but when she had Motrin, she felt much better.  She worked on her homework, did her coloring.  We just had to lay around, watch TV.  Not a whole lot of energy, but  nothing terrible."

Dr. Ascrizzi says H1N1 is a numbers games... because it's highly contagious... many people are getting sick. So, if you or your child does come down with H1N1... should you go to you doctor? Dr. Ascrizzi says it's up to you. He does require that if children with asthma or other medical problems get the flu... they must come in to be checked. But everybody else can stay home, drink plenty of fluids, rest, keep the fever down Ibuprofen... and wait for virus to go away.