It took 12 times the usual dose to protect half of the people who got it. Clearly this isn't the answer.

By the beginning of December, flu vaccine will be available, though we may still experience mild shortages in scattered areas around the country.

I would call this the smoking gun. All of us have been concerned and have guessed that the data we have so far has been the tip of the iceberg.

It's absolutely heart-wrenching to me to hear these stories and have people die of something so preventable. It's as if each person, each generation, each community has to learn the hard way.

It is extremely important for those with chronic medical conditions and the elderly to get vaccinated. Influenza is a highly contagious disease that kills 10,000 to 20,000 people in the U.S. every year and leads to countless additional hospitalizations.