A news crew films Buddy Creech, M.D., talking with a participant of the H1N1 influenza vaccine clinical trial. (Photo by Susan Urmy)
How is VUMC spreading the word about H1N1?
Vanderbilt faculty have gone above and beyond the call of duty to educate Middle Tennessee, the nation and the world about the H1N1 influenza virus through numerous television, newspaper and radio interviews for local, national and international media.
H1N1 interviews with faculty including William Schaffner, M.D., Kathryn Edwards, M.D., Buddy Creech, M.D., and Paul Hain, M.D., have contributed to unprecedented visibility through the news media for Vanderbilt.
The University's satellite TV studio, VUStar, located on the Peabody campus, continues to play a critical role in the faculty's ability to reach a global audience.
VUStar reached an all-time high with an estimated 75 million viewers during August, while Medical Center News and Public Affairs captured 5,627 individual media placements during the month, recording the department's second-best month ever.
Numerous interview topics have included activities associated with VUMC's H1N1 vaccine trials, preventive measures for H1N1, when to keep your children home from school, when to see the doctor, when to come to the Emergency Department and what to do if you are traveling on an airplane.
Vanderbilt’s William Schaffner, M.D., took part in the H1N1 vaccine trial. (Photo by Susan Urmy)
News crews have traveled to the Clinical Research Center (CRC) in Medical Center North to cover each round of H1N1 vaccine testing for healthy adults, children and pregnant women.
Edwards
Edwards and Creech were interviewed about the process for ensuring the vaccine is safe and effective for all populations, especially those persons at greatest risk. Local and national news media also found that Vanderbilt's vaccine trial volunteers were willing to share their stories.
To date, Edwards has fielded numerous interview requests, including appearances on CNN's HouseCalls with Sanjay Gupta, CBS Evening News and ABC's World News Tonight with Charles Gibson. Creech was interviewed by various media including CNN's Elizabeth Cohen, who visited Vanderbilt for a day to follow patient and Vanderbilt employee Amy Wolf as she was one of the nation's first pregnant women to be vaccinated for the H1N1 trial.