Behind The Scenes Of CDC's Vaping Investigation
When the first cases of vaping-related lung injuries came to the attention of scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this summer, they knew this was a potential curveball.
Disease detectives, more accustomed to stopping food-borne illnesses or tracking the annual influenza cycle, realized that they'd need a unique approach to take on a health crisis that has so far sickened 1,604 and killed 34.
"I think it's pulling on everyone's heartstrings," says Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's principal deputy director, during an interview in Atlanta, "because many of the individuals are previously healthy. A lot of them are young. Half of them are under 25 years old and some of them are dying."
Given the scope and the mysterious nature of
