Majority of adult Americans don't want H1N1 shot

[dumboiu]

What are your feelings about the H1N1 shot?

Will you get it? Have you already gotten it? Are you concerned about getting it? Most importantly, why do you feel as you do?



http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/18...ine/index.html

Washington (CNN) -- More than half of all adult Americans say they don't want to get the H1N1 flu vaccine, according to a new national poll.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday also indicates that the number of adults who have tried to get the vaccine but were turned away is higher than the number of adults who have gotten a swine flu shot.

According to the poll, 55 percent of adults don't want to get the swine flu vaccine and don't plan to get a shot. Another one in five say they want to get inoculated but haven't taken any steps to do so; 14 percent want a shot and have tried to get it but have been unsuccessful. Just 7 percent have been inoculated for H1N1.

Why are more than half of all Americans shunning the vaccine?

"The perception that the vaccine has dangerous side effects is the top reason," says CNN polling director Keating Holland. "Roughly half of those who don't want a swine flu shot say that the possibility of side effects is one reason why they don't plan to get the vaccine. That works out to 28 percent of the adult population who don't plan to get inoculated due to the risk of dangerous side effects."

So far officials of the National Institutes of Health say they've seen no serious side effects in clinical trials and that study subjects who have been immunized have generated a good response.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for certain high-priority groups because they are more likely to have serious complications if they develop swine flu. These groups include: pregnant women; caregivers and household contacts of children younger than 6 months; everyone between the ages of 6 months and 24 years; and people ages 25 to 64 with existing health problems.

Most frequently asked H1N1 questions

One in four American adults say they don't plan on getting a shot because they are not in a high-risk group, with 21 percent indicating they don't plan on getting vaccinated because they only go to a doctor when they are sick. Most of those respondents are men.

What about the 14 percent who have unsuccessfully tried to get the vaccine?

"Some say they don't know where to go. That works out to 4 percent of the total adult population who want to get inoculated but haven't been able to locate a medical facility that is giving swine flu shots," Holland said. "A bigger group, 5 percent of the total population, say that they found a facility with the vaccine but were turned away because they were not in a high-risk group or for some other reason. And 3 percent of all adults say they found a facility that had the vaccine but it ran out before they got there."

Add together those last two groups, and the number of Americans who actively sought the vaccine but were turned away for some reason is 8 percent of the total adult population, roughly the same number as the 7 percent who have been inoculated so far.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted November 13-15, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser and senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report

[Chicago526]

While I have no concerns at all about the safety of the shot, I will not be getting one. In 33 years of life, I've never had the flu and I don't see me getting it now. Plus I work from home and have no kids, so I'm not nearly as exposed to germs as the average person is (who goes to work in a cube farm and has several school age kids that go to the germ factory...errr....school every day). Since there is a shortage due to the short amount of time they've had to produce the vaccine, I'll forgo mine to allow someone with greater need to get it.

[Kim&Chris]

I'm not going to get it. I take all the precautions, so I think I'll be fine.

[mickeyboat]

I would get one if one was available to me. Maybe later in the season. I am desperate to get one for my DDs, though, and they are finally scheduled to get them on Tuesday.

[C.Ann]

Every adult I know is trying to get it - as well as trying to get it for their children.. It's just not readily available..

Why are they trying to get it? Because no one wants to waste their time, money, and energy being sick if there is a way of possibly preventing it.. No one wants to end up with hospital bills if they should become ill enough to require hospitalization.. It's a nasty virus that can not only kill, but cause suffering that may not be necessary.. Some who have had the H1N1 virus and "recovered" are still facing weeks and weeks of lingering fatigue and racking coughs.. It just doesn't sound like "fun"..

Parents don't want to chance their children being one of the children that die - regardless of what the odds are.. No further explanation necessary on that one..

If in fact this article is correct, then why is there still such a shortage of the vaccine?

[mtemm]

I'm 42 and not in a high risk group, so no plans to get it, especially with the shortage. my kids, on the other hand, are, and have had one dose so far, we are waiting on availability for the second dose.

[disney1990]

As soon as I can find an H1N1 shot to take, I will get it. I have the flu once, and I never want to get it again. I was soooo sick.

[clovergirl5]

I will be getting it when its available to me. I don't usually get the flu shot but this h1n1 crap, don't want to deal with it. To many people dying. My ped kids got it and I trust her. My kids go in for their second shot in early Dec.

[scuba]

Here is my take, Being an ER charge nurse for the last 15 or so years, I was aware that I would be one of the first offered. Initially I wasn't interested but I was either given the choice of the shot or wearing a mask fro every patient interaction and felt that was ridiculous as well. I have NEVER even recieved the sesonal flu shot so I wasn't that interested in the H1N1 shot either. Not because I disagreed with it only because I had to make arrangements on my days off to get the shot, Had someone came through the department with the shot when I was working then I suppose I might have let them give it to me.

A funny thing happened the day I was at work when the community county health department came through offering the H1N1. I spoke to one of the Managers giving the shot and he told me that the same manufacturer that produces the seasonal shot also produces the H1N1. It isn't vodoo magic or anything. He also told me that the biggest sham is the seasonal flu shot because the flu that you are being vaccinated for is a prediction made the year prior. In addition, Just because you get the seasonal flu shot doesn't mean you won't get the flu because there are several different strains of the flu.

Now, we know what flu strain is causing problems and killing folks, so getting the H1N1 shot seems to me to be no different than getting a tetnus shot because the shot is targeting a certain strain and not just some willy-nilly flu prediction made the year before.

I was given the shot, which is the dead virus, where as the nasal mist is the attunated weakened virus. I have heart problems therefore was given the choice of the shot. I took the shot. I don't want a live virus no matter how weakened it is, that I do have a problem with. I was also told that there is a concern that after the nasal is given that a person can be contagious, I heard a hospital giving the mist was taken precautions for this, however I don't have any evidence this to be true, Just heard it through the grapevine that day.....lastly I didn't even have the slightest sniffle, no problems at all, not even a sore arm. A few that got the mist felt an ache from time to time, and their nose seemed sensitive....I don't know what to think about that.

Lastly, I wanted to direct your attention to an easily searched report out of Purdue University, it was reported by all the major news outlests, I don't have the link. The report did critisize the CDC for it's slow response and cited that they flet that the peak infection period was around 1 week before Halloween, based on our ER numbers that week and the following, that was accurate because we had scarry numbers of flu like symptoms and I felt there might be something to this. However since that time we have seen a huge drop, maybe 75-80% of folks presenting with flu like and we are seeing a significant decline in the amount of positive influenza A tests......The report also cited that by the time the vaccination efforts gets ramped up, 60-70% of non-vaccinated citizens will have already been exposed and have developed antibodies for the virus. Also 25% of folks exposed never develop symptoms............$.02

[luvwinnie]

I am trying to find one to no avail. I have asthma.

[Meriweather]

I had the seasonal flu last winter....not fun.
DH got what was said to be H1N1 about a month ago (they aren't testing anymore). He caught it on a business trip and was sick for 2 weeks (he has asthma)....one week was on the road Doctor told him to stay home from work the next full week.....I disinfected like crazy because no way I wanted it.
I escaped......got the vaccine last Sat. along with a seasonal one also (first time for that one as well). No side effects, other than a slightly sore arm (well, 2 arms).
DH is going to try to get the shot next week.
My family health clinic was one of 2 in our town that had them,.....only giving them out to established patients. DH goes to a different clinic, but they are the other one, so as long as they have it, he should be able to get one.
Anyone else has to go to the health department and get one....and that means wait in line.

[EMom]

My doctor got 20 shots a couple of weeks ago and I'd been bugging him so persistently (because of my asthma) that he gave me one of the coveted 20 shots. Now they're doing studies to find out if asthmatics need MORE than one shot for H1N1 to really be effective. ACK!!!!!! I swear, at this point, I'd take TWO shots if I could find a second.

[linda0706]

Originally Posted by C.Ann

Every adult I know is trying to get it - as well as trying to get it for their children.. It's just not readily available..

My experience is the opposite...I do not want the shot & am not planning to give it to my child. Same with everyone I know -- I do not know anyone who got it or who wants it.

[damo]

The shot is available to all where I live but I don't know anyone rushing out to get it.

[Micca]

I have never had a flu shot of any kind, and haven't had flu in 30+ years. This is what I told the nurse at my doc's office when she asked if I was getting the shot(s). I asked her if SHE was getting the shot and she said no-basically for the same reason. And she's exposed to sick people all the time!