With the first doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine expected in early October, many Americans will have already been exposed to the virus — which was first identified in April. A common question is whether someone who’s already been sick still needs to get vaccinated — or whether they’re already protected.

The short answer is: Yes AND yes, according to experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“People who have actually been infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus likely do have some immunity,” said Jay Butler, MD, chief of the CDC’s 2009 H1N1 Vaccine Task Force. “But the important issue is whether or not they know that’s what they were actually infected with.”

Most suspected H1N1 cases are diagnosed without laboratory confirmation.

“Early in the epidemic, we had other strains of influenza circulating,” Butler said. “There are other viruses that can make people ill as well. So, even if someone has had an illness that’s similar to influenza, even if there was perhaps a credible diagnosis of H1N1 infection made, our recommendation would still be to receive the vaccine so that you know that you’re immune.”

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Reporting on Atlanta real estate for a New York-based network is a lot of fun.

In my earpiece, I hear the anchors, producers and audio technicians at our Midtown Manhattan headquarters marvel at what $225-thousand will buy you down here — charming houses that would cost a fortune up there.

Today, we’re checking in with Realtor Joshua Keen of RealSource Brokers, as we have throughout the year, to see how economic trends are affecting him. Click here to watch our live/on the scene interview.

Joshua says he’s seen business pick up by 50 percent over the past 45 days. Eighty percent of his clientele these days are first time buyers. He says much of this is being driven by the first time homebuyer tax credit which expires Nov. 30.

Joshua says the Average sales price in town remains steady at… $225-thousand.

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At a time H1N1 influenza has heightened awareness and concern about the spread of infectious diseases, two British companies — BAE Systems and Quest International UK — have announced new technology to inhibit the spread of pathogens on board aircraft.

The AirManager cabin air management system “eliminates all airborne viruses and bacteria,” according to a news release posted on BAE’s website. The company also writes:

The patented AirManager uses a revolutionary Close Coupled Field Technology (CCFT) – a contained and safe electrical field that eliminates smells, and breaks down and destroys airborne pathogens, contaminants and toxins.

BAE says it has successfully tested the filtration system on eight BAe 146 and Avro RJ aircraft. Both of these models are regional passenger jets. The company is currently conducting trials in much larger Boeing 757 jetliners and expects to design similar filters for use in two workhorses of commercial aviation — the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.

Even before H1N1, airline cabin air quality had come under scrutiny. Because jet engines have to work harder to pull in fresh air from outside, many aircraft recycle cabin air to reduce fuel costs. The practice has caused considerable debate within the aviation industry and the medical community as to whether it increases the transmission of disease.

BAE officials claim their AirManager will allow air conditioning systems to operate even more efficiently — essentially paying for the system in fuel conservation within the first year of use.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority has begun weekly cleaning of common areas to reduce the spread of flu among its estimated 1 million daily passengers. For more on that, and other H1N1-related information, see my Liveshots Blog.

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The Food and Drug Administration has approved the new H1N1 vaccine.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told Congress a limited number of doses may be distributed in early October, with a bulk shipment in the middle of that month.

This year’s response to H1N1 marks one of the fastest research and development phases of an influenza vaccine. In an interview earlier this month, Jay Butler, MD, director of the CDC’s H1N1 Vaccine Task Force told me:

I think the news is really good in terms of what we’ve been saying over the past several years — how we’ve planned, particularly at the state level, for the next pandemic. We’ve anticipated that a vaccine wouldn’t be available for about six to nine months after the first cases are identified. If, indeed, we can be getting vaccine out to the public by mid-October, we’re actually a little bit ahead of schedule.

Public health officials first discovered this H1N1 outbreak in April.

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America’s hospitals are preparing for a resurgence of H1N1 flu. But a limited number of beds will require some out of the box thinking.

“Hospitals have taken the same approach the airlines have. They’ve tried to fill every seat,” said Art Kellermann, MD, professor of emergency medicine at Emory University. “A full hospital is an economically efficient hospital. But a full hospital to start a flu season is a very, very tough place to manage.”

According to Kellermann, many hospitals already have contingency plans in place — opening separate waiting areas for people with flu symptoms and expanding patient treatment into areas normally used for administration.

Kellermann said the general public can also play an important role by getting vaccinated, covering coughs, washing hands and staying home when sick to slow the spread of H1N1. “If you can spread the epidemic season out, that means — on any given day or any given week — doctors like me have less severely ill patients to take care of,” he said.

According to public health experts, the vast majority of those infected with H1N1 will not require a visit to the emergency room. Convincing people with mild cases to recover at home will be key to freeing up America’s ERs for those who need them most, Kellermann said.

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