Avoid Planes, Trains, Closed Spaces: Biden

Joe Biden is advising his family to avoid confined places where swine flu could spread easily, including airplanes, subways, classrooms, and malls, the VP told the Today Show today. A single sneeze "goes all the way through the aircraft," he noted. Biden also said it's too late to close the Mexican border since the flu has already spread to 11 American states.

Several hours later, the veep's office pulled back from his earlier remarks, issuing a statement saying he meant only the same thing the administration has been urging all Americans:  "If they are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways."  (More swine flu stories.)