Health care workers in Indiana and Tennessee were among the first to receive the H1N1 vaccine.

David Puente
AC360° Producer

“Is Sanjay still in the building?” that’s what I heard a senior producer in New York shouting across the newsroom at almost 6PM today.

“Not likely at this hour on a Friday,” someone else mumbled. But sure enough Sanjay said he’d be ready to be on the set to pretape a segment with Anderson on the rapid rise in pediatric deaths from H1N1. I was assigned to produce the segment so I reached out to our medical unit’s producer and formulated questions.

Then CNN’s medical unit confirmed that there were another 19 deaths of children and teens from H1N1 reported in the past week around the country. That brings the total number of fatalities to 76 among those younger than age 18.

There were two deaths reported in Maryland, three were in Tennessee, seven in Texas and one each in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

Tonight we ask Sanjay about what’s believed to be the largest number of pediatric deaths reported in a single week since the pandemic began last spring. Now that the H1N1 vaccine is getting rolled out – will that help put a stop to the rise in pediactric deaths?

On our blog, Mazin asks: “My son does not want my 7 year old grandson vaccinated because he had a bad reaction from last year’s regular flu shot. Does the H1N1 nasal spray vaccination have a potential bad reaction?”

Back in the newsroom a sense of concern especially from those who are parents. With all the doubt, distrust and misinformation out there about the vaccine and when and where to get it, it may not come as a surprise to you.

Tune in at 10PM tonight for the answer to Mazin’s question and Sanjay Gupta tells us whether or not he’s vaccinating his children.

Follow David on Twitter @puenteac360.

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