An Oops Moment for the Vice President?

Official updates and clarifications are flying in Washington DC Thursday morning after Vice President Joe Biden says he's telling his own family to avoid commercial jets and subways because of the swine flu.

Vice President Biden hit all of the network morning shows Thursday and said on NBC's Today Show if one person sneezes on a confined aircraft, "it goes all the way through the aircraft."

The Associated Press went on to report "going beyond official advice from the federal government, Biden said of his family's personal precautions: 'That's me.'"

It didn't take long for the network correspondents at The White House to rifle off updates from the administration via Twitter.

Mark Knoller, of CBS Radio, updated saying "Asked if VP Biden will clarify his remarks to stay off planes and trains, a senior official in his office says "stay tuned."

Knoller adds, "From VP pres secretary Elizabeth Alexander. Says Biden was saying : we "should avoid unnecessary air travel to and from Mexico" and "Of course, Biden went further: "I would tell members of my family ... I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now."

ABC News reporter Jake Tapper is also weighing in on Twitter Thursday morning after the Vice President's remarks. Tapper tweats "Biden's msg (message) deviates from CDC advice. a VP spox (spokesperson) issues a statement stating that the VP said something else entirely than what he said."

Knoller at 9:18am writes "More from Biden press secy (secretary): "If (people) are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways."

It's interesting to see all of this scrambling just days after a 60 Minutes story on Vice President Biden aired on CBS. In the story, correspondent Lesley Stahl reports:

All his expertise doesn't mean the White House rests easy when the vice president is holding forth - his penchant for bloopers still make them nervous.

"Much of the ridicule of me is well deserved," Biden acknowledged.

Read then entire 60 Minutes profile by clicking here

UPDATE: The Air Transport Association has issued a statement in response to the vice President's comments:

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2009 – The Air Transport Association of America, (ATA) the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today wrote to Vice President Biden regarding his remarks made this morning on the NBC “Today” show.

“Vice President Biden’s comment that people should avoid air travel in response to the H1N1 flu outbreak was extremely disappointing,” said ATA President and CEO James C. May. “The airlines have been working daily with government agencies, none of whom suggest people avoid air travel, unless they are not feeling well. The fact is that the air onboard a commercial aircraft is cleaner than that in most public buildings.”

Read the ATA letter to Vice President Biden by clicking here

UPDATE TWO: The World Health Organization said Thursday they would begin calling this virus the H1N1 ful and not the swine flu to protect pigs.