The 3-minute interview: Ulder Tillman

Montgomery County is offering its first H1N1 vaccination clinic on from 9 a.m. to noon Friday at the Dennis Avenue Health Center in Silver Spring. Tillman, the county's chief of health services, gives some advice.

Who should get vaccinated?

We have received 2,500 doses of intranasal H1N1 vaccine and that would be going to the priority groups which are healthy children from the ages of 2 to 18 years, healthy adults up to age 49 who are the caretakers of infants younger than 6 months, and care workers who are healthy and up to age 49. The intranasal cannot be given to pregnant women or children or adults with chronic illnesses such as asthma and diabetes.

Will vaccines be available to those other groups?

Yes. They are not available just yet but we expect to be receiving the injectable vaccine within weeks.

How does one decide whether to get vaccinated for H1N1 or the regular flu?

H1N1 has been affecting the younger age groups primarily so that we are recommending that all children receive vaccination against H1N1 unless they are under 6 months of age, and if they are that young, then their parents and caretakers should be vaccinated to help protect them. ... Individuals who are from 25 years to 64 years old with chronic conditions, they should be vaccinated. ... Pregnant women also are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated for H1N1.

How does someone know if they have H1N1 as opposed to some other bug?

H1N1 has symptoms that are similar to the seasonal flu so that you would not be able to distinguish between the two.

When is it OK for someone to go back to work or school?

The recommendations now are once you have gone 24 hours without a fever, and without the use of fever-reducing medications, then it's possible for you to return to work or school.

Any idea how many people in Montgomery County have gotten the virus so far?

We have already excluded more than 1,000 children from our public school system for flulike systems. --Kytja Weir