According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News Poll, 52% of Americans are worried that they, or someone close to them, will contract the H1N1 virus (a.k.a. “swine flu”) – up from 39% in August. However, only one third of Americans plan to get the H1N1 vaccine this year, and 52% of parents plan to vaccinate their children. Out of those parents who would not vaccinate their children, 53% said it is because they worry that the vaccine has not been thoroughly tested and thus it could have negative side effects.The Washington Post offers this analysis of the poll results:
The findings illustrate the dueling challenges the federal government faces in its unprecedented effort to protect Americans against the first influenza pandemic in more than four decades. Federal officials have spent at least $2 billion to buy enough vaccine to inoculate at least half the population and pledged to provide the immunization to everyone who wants it.
But vaccine production has lagged behind projections, leaving public health officials scrambling to allocate the limited doses available and frustrating some anxious parents and other people waiting to be immunized. At the same time, there is still a long way to go in federal efforts to convince people of the necessity and safety of the vaccine.
While the cases of H1N1 continue to grow, there is pressure put on the Federal Government to find a vaccination, while at the same the public wants to be assured that the vaccination has been thoroughly studied and tested enough to determine its safety and side effects. Government officials seem optimistic that there is a safe solution:
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured the senators that everything is being done as quickly as possible to produce and distribute antiviral drugs and vaccine.
“There will be enough vaccine for every American who wants to be vaccinated,” Sebelius said, repeating reassurances that the vaccine is safe.
Read the entire Washington Post article here.