Matt McIntosh loved playing drums in his band. His older sister Mindy was his biggest fan.
"They were just very close,” mother Katrina McIntosh said. “One was always with the other one."
This summer, both came down with flu-like symptoms. In 10 days matt was dead. Mindy died three weeks later. Both had H1N1.
"My kids were perfectly healthy,” Katrina said. “They had no underlying health problems whatsoever."
Cases like this have health officials racing against the clock to protect the public. The government has ordered 195 million doses of the swine flu vaccine.
How is the vaccine made?
Scientists inject a version of the H1N1 virus into millions of eggs. There, the virus multiplies. Researchers inactivate the virus and pull out individual proteins. Those proteins, along with other ingredients, make up the vaccine.
Experts recommend if you are allergic to eggs, avoid the H1N1 vaccine. Health officials still recommend getting seasonal flu shots as the H1N1 vaccine won't protect against both strains.
"We were almost overwhelmed with the number of people that wanted to help and wanted to be in the trials,” Dr. David Bernstein said.
Who should get the shot?
Pregnant women, kids from six months to 24 years old and adults who have diabetes, asthma, chronic lung or heart disease.
"I think we're doing all we can do given the time constraints we have,” Bernstein said. “It just may not be enough."
There wasn't enough time for the McIntosh's.
See the transcript of our Live Chat with the Missouri Health Department:
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