Williams. Good evening. With the flu at epidemic levels, already in some American Cities and now with the Media Coverage of it, its all having a predictable effect. While its late in the game, people are streaming in to get flu shots, hoping to avoid a very serious illness. The kind that has overwhelmed even some hospitals. One doctor in minnesota where there have been 27 deaths due to the flu said today the spread of this virus this winter is pretty much unparalleled. Some places are running out of inokay legislations. Others are dealing with the sick. In a moment, what the doctor says about what to do if this strikes. But we begin with a doctor who has visited three hospitals in the flu zone over just the last three days. We have two reports to start off with tonight, beginning with dr. Nan Nancy Snyderman at the hospital of the university of pennsylvania in philadelphia tonight. Nancy, good evening. Good evening, brian. State by state the number of cases of influenza and influenza related deaths continue to tick upward. In the state of pennsylvania, more than 20 people have been killed by this virus, and in the meantime, doctors and hospitals across the country are just scrambling to keep up. At 15 months,ca leave hollins is one of the youngest victims. He has spent the last three days in the hospital. He cried and cried. He would just look at me and give me like a sad look, like help me. Washingtons Childrens National Medical Center is seeing a nearly 30 increase in Emergency Department visits. Its our very young and our very old, as well as our immune compromised patients. So by very young, definitely children under 2 and even under 5 are at higher risk of complications. At saint lukes patients Medical Center in pasadena, texas, where there has been an uptick in flu cases, the elderly are a major concern. They come in very weak and ill and think its a simple flu, but then the complications set in. In chicago, the department of health is trying to stem the tide by offering free vaccinations, but there are shortages. The city of summerville, massachusetts ran through 700 doses of vaccines. We exhausted our supply on tuesday of this week. There has been a run on flu vaccine this season. The cdc says 128 million doses have been delivered. Only 135 million have been made. This years flu is especially virulent and can spread quickly. Experts say you can be exposed to the virus six feet away from a person who coughs or sneezes. And once you are infected, its easy to pass it on to family and coworkers, even before you have symptoms. And adults can be contagious 24 hours before they feel ill and be sick up to a week afterward. Children may be contagious longer than a week. Doctors say Emergency Rooms should be the last resort. They put people at exposure just by coming to the Emergency Department. Patients should only go to the hospital in cases of severe dehydration, difficultly breathing or if they have a chronic illness. Dr. Nancy snyderman, nbc news, philadelphia. This is Kevin Tibbles in port washington, wisconsin, where like many businesses, iconic american shoemaker, allen edmonds, cant afford to lose people to the flu. You dont want these people to be sick. No, we cant do our job if these people are sick. Reporter so staff meticulously spray and wipe down all common areas to beat back the germs. And the companys 500 wisconsin employees are constantly reminded of the flu outbreak and taught how to prevent it. Hand sanitizer. Reporter across the country, businesses are already taking a hit, like at the hair spa in charlotte, north carolina. Theyre cancelling their appointments, theyre rescheduling, theyre coming in coughing. Its been bad. Reporter Many Companies like b h photo in new york are now hiring private companies to provide flu shots to employees. You have a nice day. Reporter you may not know it, but the flu virus can live on a surface for up two days. And yet only about a third of us even bother to clean our desks or key boards once a week. When was the last time you cleaned yours . And heres an incentive. The average desk is 400 times dirtier than the average toilet seat. And while this flu season is shaping up to be serious, it comes with added worry in a tough economy. Sick workers today are worried about losing their jobs, 38 of them dont get paid for their sick days. So theyre coming in sick, theyre infecting others. Reporter experts say, to fight the flu, businesses should limit the number of meetings, let those who can work from home, and make sure Hand Sanitizer is plentiful. And employment experts say thats good advice, because one sick employee could infect the entire staff and that could wind up costing companies a lot more. Brian . Kevin tibbles in wisconsin. Nancy snyderman in philly before that. Thank you both. And lets talk about what to do if this hits and what caregivers need to know. Dr. Tanya bennenson is our chief medical officer here at nbc. Doctor, thank you very much for coming in. I know you handed out 300 inoculations today alone. Let me ask how this strikes people differently. Lets say a 20yearold young, vigorous, healthy person versus a 65yearold who may not be. Well, people respond differently to the flu shots and have different immune symptoms. So a 20yearold will actually have a more Effective Response from the flu shot than someone who is 65. Now, as far as getting sick, its really very individual. But a 20yearold will probably recover more quickly than a 65 yearold. And they say when this flu hits, you go down like a redwood tree. This hits you very quickly. What do doctors like you use to treat this with . Whats your recommendation to people, and especially to caregivers taking care of people with this . Well, we hear it over and over again. Prevention, first of all, is the key. So if you havent had your flu shot yet, its not too late. We should still get it. It does take two weeks to kick in and thats important. So sooner the better. So get it now. Prevention like we just heard in the piece, hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes. Staying home from work is crucial. We have a problem in our country the show must go on and we have to show up for work. If you have sick, you should stay home and stay home until you dont have a fever and thats without medication for 24 hours. So this is a big change in our culture. But we really need to stay away if were sick. And there are anti vir rals and keep up with fluids and acetaminophen but not too much. Contact your dock tore. There are treatments for anti virals and if youre home with someone, try to treat them. To go doctor, thank you as always. The fight over guns and the news of another School Shooting breaking at the very same time they were meeting at the white house trying to figure out what to do about all of the gun violence in this country, post newtown. Our report tonight from our white house correspondent, kristen welker. Reporter another School Shooting today. This one at a high school in rural kern county, california, leaving two wounded and a shotgun suspect in custody. I dont know why someone would go into a school and hurt innocent people. Just with what happened last month. Reporter while in a Conference Room across the country at the white house, Vice President biden continued exploring ways to deal with the issue of gun violence. Theres a real, very tight window to do this. Reporter today his passports heard from gun rights groups, retailers who have seen an uptick in sales since the shooting and a representative from the National Rifle association. There is a surprising so far a surprising recurrence of suggestions that we have universal background checks. Reporter but there was little sign that the white house and the nra found any common ground. After todays meeting, harsh words from the nras president. The administration was able to say they checked the box and say they talked to the representatives of firearms owners, and is the groups that support the Second Amendment and now they were going to try to proceed with what they wanted to do. Reporter the nra reports, since the newtown shooting, its membership has swelled by 100,000, now standing at 4. 2 million. And at an Oklahoma City gun store, owner miles hall says his customers are preparing for tighter gun laws. What was interesting is who was doing the buying. This wasnt anybody crazed or anything about that. They were just people who wanted to have something before the government said they couldnt have it. Reporter experts say the politics of gun control have shifted since newtown. The tragedy of what happened in newtown and the previous tragedies behind have clearly training changed the game on gun control in a way thats historically unprecedented. There is now a demand for action of the sort we just havent seen before. Reporter now tonight the Vice President meets with representatives from the entertainment industry, some critics argue that the glorification of violence in video games, movies and Television Shows is part of the broader problem that really needs to be addressed. Brian . Kristen welker at the white house for us tonight. Kristen, thanks. President obama today formally nominated his chief of staff, jack lew, to be the next treasury secretary. As the secondterm churn gets under way now. Though it looked for a time like the president might nominate susan rice to be his next secretary of state, when that didnt happen, this latest wave of nominees appear to have something in common. And as nbcs Andrea Mitchell reports tonight, people are noticing. Reporter it is the White House Photo that could be called all the president s men. Adviser Valerie Jarrett is there, were told, hidden behind the guys. As president obama filled his top cabinet post with nominees named jack and chuck and john its time for me to move on. Reporter it was like mad men goes to washington, except peggy leaving ruth marcus. Whatever guy becomes chief of staff, i think its actually interesting there are two women who are deputy chiefs of staff and no one has talked about them as possibilities at all. Reporter one of the two deputies, nancy ann de parcel, a harvard lawyer, is leaving next week. Epa administrator, lisa jackson. So is labor secretary, hilda solice. Disappointing some women who helped reelect the president. We have different life experiences. Theyre not better or worse than mens, but theyre different. Reporter to some, it was dejavu all over again, two decades after this report on nightly news. Today clinton rejected womens groups. He was visibly angry critics are ignoring sub cabinet appointees who are female. They would be counting those positions against our administration, those bean counters doing that, if i had appointed white men to those positions, and you know thats true. Reporter the Obama White House says it has many women in sub cabinet posts and hasnt finished naming its secondterm team. Still, some say team obama could use some of those binders full of women. Andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. Theres news out of the world of sports. We learned today former nfl star linebacker, junior seau, who committed suicide at the age of 43 last may had the same brain condition diagnosed in at least two former nfl players who also took their own lives. Seaus family asked that his brain tissue be analyzed after his death. Test results from the National Institutes of health show he had a brain disease called cte, caused by repeated blows to the head. Symptoms can include memory loss, aggression and depression. Now to a life or death struggle that has captured attention around the world. 11 whales trapped under the ice, running out of breathing room. And just as a rescue mission was ramping up, something unexpected took place. Its all happening way up in remote northern quebec. And nbc news chief Environmental Affairs correspondent Anne Thompson has our report. This is a scene of beauty and bewhich woulderment. The oceans top predators, killer whales, fighting to breathe in canadas hudson bay. This pod of orcas has become an international sensation. Watching whales that can grow to 8 tons, taking turns coming up for air in a hole the size of a pickup truck. A marine biologist at chicagos shed aquarium. Theyre a very social animal, used to living and traveling in groups so they Work Together as a dynamic group. The 1800 residents of nearby could do little more than take pictures. Im very sad. Not to be able to help. Reporter if the story sounds familiar, it may be because hollywood made a movie of a similar rescue called big miracle. Its going to be okay. Reporter based on three great whales trapped in alaskas frozen waters in 19 88. Been going on for 13 days now. And local residents cut a twoandahalf mile path through the ice for the whales. Such measures werent needed in canada. This morning, residents woke up to find the whales gone, free because of shifting winds that apparently broke up the ice. But the whales should not be in hudson bay in january. Author david kirby says they are confused by our warming world. The fact that there was no ice for so long in hudson bay, the whales came in, they stayed too long, and then the ice froze up. Reporter struggling to survive on a changing planet. Anne thompson, nbc news, new york. Still ahead, as we continue on a thursday evening, a big warning tonight for women. Its about ambien and other brands of sleeping pills, and what can happen for some. And later, it will be one for the ages at the oscars. A race for best actress, far starters, like weve never seen before. Copd makes it hard to breathe, but with advair, im breathing better. So now i can be in the scene. Advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. Unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an antiinflammatory and a longacting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. 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Of heartburn symptoms caused by acid reflux disease. There is risk of bone fracture, and low magnesium levels. Side effects may include headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Call your doctor right away if you have persistent diarrhea. Other serious stomach conditions may exist. Dont take nexium if you take clopidogrel. Ask your doctor if nexium, the purple pill, is right for you. Find out how to save on nexium at purplepill. Com. Makers of ambien need to lower their dosage because of what can happen the next morning. The story here, the effect is especially risky for women. Our report tonight from nbcs tom costello. Looks like the south 5 is miserable still. Reporter its the morning rush hour, but is that driver in the lane next to you fully awake . The fda says its received more than 700 reports of drivingrelated mishappens and terrible accidents related to common sleeping aids like ambien. Drivers too drowsy to concentrate the morning after taking a sleeping pill. In carey kennedys case, she claims to have taken ambien in the morning and crashed into a truck. I remember getting on the highway, and then i have no memory. Reporter now, with Research Showing sleeping medications can remain in the bloodstream longer than previously thought, especially in women, the fda has ordered the makers of ambien and others to cut in half the dose for women from 10 to 5 milligrams. Also cut extended release formulas. And suggested similar doses for men. I have seen everything from them nodding off while theyre talking to me to them talking like in tongues. Reporter dr. Daniel eisenberg is the chief of cardiology at st. Joseph Medical Center in l. A. Between 8 and 12 hours would be the minimum amount of time before i would get into a car and drive. Reporter at the cleveland sleep disorder center, wkyc reporter Monica Robins took an ambien, then tried driving in a simulator as her concentration deteriorated. Three hours in, she crashed. I dont remember seeing a speed limit. This is a very serious crash. You went into the concrete barrier. Reporter americans will fill 60 million prescriptions for sleeping pills in 2013, and only taking one, say the experts, can dramatically increase your risk of having an accident. The maker of ambien today stood behind the drug but said these medicines should not be used if individuals are unable to get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep. But at current doses, the fda warns, that may not be enough. Tom costello, nbc news, los angeles. And were back in a moment with a big change coming to the happy meal that may leave some kids unhappy. Hi, im phil mickelson. Ive been fortunate to win on golfs biggest stages. But when joint pain and stiffness from Psoriatic Arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. I finally understood what serious joint pain is like. I talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. Enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. Because enbrel, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. Serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and Blood Disorders have occurred. Before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether youve been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. Dont start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. Tell your doctor if youre prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. Ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biolog medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. 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While books are great for kids and theres no such thing as too much reading, its proof the old days may be gone. Here is a great moment captured in a series of two photos. President Vladimir Putin of russia attending Midnight Mass to honor the orthodox christmas. He bends over to whisper something to a young kid sitting down on the ground. Then, cut to the young kid who looks like hes contemplating a life of hard labor in a gulag. No one knows the back story here. The caption contests on the web have been robust all day. Up next here tonight, some big surprises, and some big firsts for the oscars. She keeps you guessing. Its part of what you love about her. But your erectile dysfunction you know, that could be a question of blood flow. Cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be Ready Anytime the moments right. You can be more confident in your ability to be ready. 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The oldest and youngest best actress nominees ever. 85yearold emmanuel reve of amore and 9yearold quvenzhane wallis, who was just 5 when she auditioned for beasts of the wild. Now her small indy film about louisianas bayou will take on some giants for best picture. Nine, in all. Beast director bested some of hollywoods biggest for a director nod. Many were shocked at the snubs. Argos ben affleck, again ton turn teeno, and zero dark thirtys cakathryn big low lef off the list. Its unusual but also inevitable since the best picture category is now bigger, almost twice as big as the best director category. Reporter Silver Linings playbook nominated in all acting categories. Daniel day lewis is almost considered unbeatable in lincoln. But a world away from hollywood on the streets of kabul this morning, it wasnt about the big names, but one you likely never heard. Fawad mahameti, up for an oscar. A reminder of the true magic of movies. And then even without a canned acceptance speech, just being nominated really can change lives. Im so happy. Reporter Kristen Dahlgren, nbc news, hollywood. Thats the spirit. Thats our broadcast on a thursday night. Thank you for being here with us. Join us tonight for an allnew rock center at 10 00, 9 00 central. Im brian williams, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. Good night