The federal government has thus far not been able to make good on its promise to deliver 120 million doses of the vaccine for H1N1, commonly known as swine flu. This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that only 13 million doses have so far been delivered, leaving millions of Americans — including those at elevated risk for contracting the flu — unable to obtain it. We talk to Tom Skinner, spokesperson for the CDC, and Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former deputy commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration. They tell us why the shortage is partly a chicken and an egg problem...literally. We also speak to Alison Prange, who hasn't been able to get a vaccine for her 4-year-old daughter who has asthma.

We continue our coverage of the outbreak of swine flu that appears to be spreading rapidly across the globe. While the epicenter of the outbreak is in Mexico, there are 50 confirmed cases of people sickened from swine flu in the U.S., including 28 at one New York City school. Around the world, 6 are confirmed in Canada; 2 are confirmed in Scotland (with 7 suspected); at least 10 are suspected in New Zealand. In Spain, there is one confirmed case and 17 suspected ones; one suspected in France and one suspected in Israel. This may appear to be a fast moving story to us non-scientists, but in the medical community, they are taking things slow. The Takeaway talks to Dr. Michael Edmonds, an epidemiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University to find out why.

Also joining the conversation is Tom Skinner, the spokesperson for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to give us the latest on the outbreak in the United States. We also will get a report from Ioan Grillo, Mexico correspondent for Time Magazine. He joins us from the heart of the outbreak in Mexico City.
RESOURCES
Map: State-by-state swine flu infections (The Takeaway)
Read and listen to more about swine flu (The Takeaway)
Times Topics: Swine Flu (The New York Times)
Q&A: Swine Influenza and You (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Understanding Swine Flu (The New York Times)
Key Facts (CDC)
Swine Flu (CDC)
Swine Flu Alert Map (HealthMap.org)
Consults Blog (The New York Times)
Follow CDCemergency on Twitter

An outbreak of swine flu that started in Mexico appears poised to spread across the globe, with confirmed cases in California, Texas, Ohio and New York. The possibility of a pandemic is causing worldwide concern. The Center for Disease Control joins The Takeaway to talk about what you need to know to stay healthy. Also joining the discussion is epidemiologist Dr. Richard Wenzel, immediate past President of the International Society for Infectious Diseases and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, for a look at the the flu, the symptoms, and how we, and the government, should respond.

The Takeaway then turns to Ioan Grillo, Mexico Correspondent for Time Magazine, for look at how Mexico is responding to this health crisis.

Ever wonder how the CDC works? It's exactly like this:



Click through for a transcript.