CR Poll: Americans unsure about getting swine flu vaccine

News about swine flu and the H1N1 vaccine permeates airwaves and news headlines all over the world, but Americans aren’t so sure about whether they’ll get the vaccine when it becomes available this fall. According to a new poll conducted by the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, the majority of U.S. adults say they are either reluctant or unsure about whether they or their children will get vaccinated for the swine flu.

Just 34 percent of Americans said they definitely planned to get the swine flu vaccine, while 21 percent said they would not. Forty-three percent said their decision would depend on how things go. And though children are among the groups given priority for swine flu immunization, many parents said they were unsure about what they would do when the vaccine becomes available.

And all the uncertainty about whether or not to get the swine flu vaccine appears to be linked to the confusion over risk. Of the adults we polled, more than half of the people at high risk for flu complications don't realize they are. Among people who classified themselves as high risk for swine flu complications, 60 percent in our survey said they would definitely get vaccinated, and 29 percent said it would depend on circumstances. But more than half (55 percent) of those who reported that they had medical problems such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease didn't realize that their medical conditions put them at higher risk. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically recommends it for about 160 million Americans, including health-care and emergency workers, pregnant women, people who live with or care for children under 6 months of age, young people from 6 months through 24 years old, and adults ages 25 to 65 who have an underlying health condition or compromised immune system.

Take a look at the results of our swine flu poll, and tell us if you’ll be getting the swine flu shot when it becomes available this fall. Why or why not?

—Ginger Skinner

For more on the H1N1 vaccine, follow our swine flu coverage and recommendations.

Photo courtesy of alvi2047

Comments

[Kari]

Swine Flu less deadly than seasonal flu (.03 deaths per 1,000 or .00003% chance of death) regular flu 1 in 1,000 or .001% chance of death (keep in mind...most who died had underlying illnesses)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jkQ3_vV5ygxdBzS9H72KtcL8LpXQ

Why risk it?!!! I mean, driving a car is more likely to kill you than this alleged pandemic. PUH-leeeeze!

No link to autism with mercury...are you serious. Bobby Kennedy Jr. says that those alleged studies are the height of junk science and I would more trust parents who knew their kids were fine but were changed forever after vaccines. The CDC openly discusses problems in closed meetings and won't let their own family get them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbNFVLTSjtA

Also, the vaccine makers have immunity. Why do they need that if they are so safe???
http://www.aol.com.au/men/story/Legal-immunity-set-for-swine-flu-vaccine-makers/1983171/index.html

The new England Journal of Medicine - says the nasal H1N1 spray vaccine contains the LIVE virus. It also says that pregnant women SHOULD NOT take it. http://h1n1.nejm.org/?p=890

[Russ]

I highly suggest you read this article on ChristianPress.com where Dr. George Watson, president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons speaks out against the swine flu vaccine. Studies show 60% of doctors don't even get a flu shot.

http://christianpress.com/content/us/410-is-the-swine-flu-vaccine-safe

[wisedecision]

How much rat poison is too much??? Think, people!!!

[Michael Kaplan]

The paranoia and misinformation flying around about the H1N1 vaccine is incredible. The H1N1 vaccine is really no different than the normal influenza vaccine except that there wasn't time to include it in this year's normal flu vaccine so it needs to be given as a separate shot. Next year there won't even be special H1N1 vaccine as it will just be one of the several strains included in the routine seasonal vaccine.

Control your paranoia and just get the shot. The pandemic is widespread throughout the country at a time of year when there should normally be almost no flu activity:
http://www.google.org/flutrends/intl/en_us/

Even if you escape it this year H1N1 is likely to be the predominant flu strain for years to come. In the not-too-improbable event that you get it you will most likely be 'lucky' and just suffer about a week of misery and self-pity in bed, but for some it will be worse.

The influenza vaccine is usually not given to people who are anaphylactic to eggs (if you are unsure if you are, then you aren't). Otherwise there is no contraindication. If you talk a pregnant woman out of getting the shot with your crazed pseudo-scientific ramblings about the fictional harm that thimerisol can cause then you have put her in real danger as 28 pregnant women have died of H1N1 in this country and another 100 have landed in intensive care units.

Oh, and asking Consumer Reports if they can get a hold of the vaccine and find out what's really in it? Like someone whips this stuff up in their garage? If you want to review the real data on the H1N1 vaccine then go directly to the published medical literature:
http://content.nejm.org/early_release/#group09-10
If you don't understand it then you are best off deferring to the CDC.

If your paranoia is so great that you absolutely refuse it and instead embrace mystical and magical nonsense like vitamin D or some crazy amino acid or whatever snake oil you choose as your protectional talisman against the flu then maybe you can't be helped, but please keep it to yourself and don't pull others down with you.

[Ken]

I think that many citizens of this great country are concerned about the lack of sufficient information about side affects, and just what this vaccine contains.

In your current Health newsletter, under the heading, "Made up your mind?" you said, "We think that it is a good sign that many are seriously considering getting the newly approved vaccine . . ." Maybe Consumer Reports feels confident that the vaccine has been sufficiently tested and safe for massive injections.

If so, why doesn't Consumer Reports do what they do best and secure a vile of the vaccine (off the shelf, of course), then have an independent lab analize it? This H1N1 vaccine has been rushed through the system too fast, and the consequences can be devastating.

I need more independent information before I take the injection.

[Trisha Brandon]

Thanks for the great comments. There are a few questions we had some further information on. Firstly, although studies have shown that thimerosal doesn't cause autism, if you're concerned about the preservative you can request a thimerasol-free vaccine.

Here's further info: http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/ABOUT/QA/thimerosal.htm

Michael, you do not have to wait any period of time between getting the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine. In fact, when the H1N1 vaccine becomes available they can be given at the same time, just in different places, i.e., one in the right arm and the other in the left, as long as you get the flu shot rather than the nasal spray.

Ellen, our medical advisors are not aware that the CDC has warned anyone with a specific disease (other than allergy to eggs or in the case of live vaccine people who are immuno-suppressed) not to get the vaccine. However, many physicians may not be enthusiastic about vaccinating someone who is in the middle of an illness because there could be confusion between the disease and side effects of the vaccine. It might be worth following up with your doctor.

Of course, you should always consult your physician or health-care provider for specific advice for your situation.

--Trisha Brandon, online editor

[James Sims]

The new 2009 H1N1 vaccine is being distributed in three different formulations. First, there is the live attenuated (weakened) nasal spray vaccine from the same maker as the seasonal FluMist product. Second, the killed virus injectable vaccine will be distributed with some doses shipping in single dose, thimerosal-free pre-filled syringes. Third, some of the killed virus injectable vaccine will be distributed in multi-dose vials that does contain thimerosal.

Thimerosal is a preservative, and yes, it does contain mercury. Pregnant women should probably avoid the multi-dose formulation as well as very young children. The nasal spray version is not indicated for pregnant women, those with chronic health conditions like asthma, etc. or those over 49 years of age.

Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information about what forms of the vaccine are available in your area.

People differ in their perception of risk and as others have commented some don't trust some of the sources of the official information. In my county, the local health authority thinks about 50% of the population of the county have risk factors for the flu. I'm one of those 50% at risk.

Vaccine is not available to me yet, but I did get my vaccination against bacterial pneumonia strains which is indicated for people like me who are at higher risk of complications, and for seniors 65 and older who are also at higher risk of complications from the flu.

[eric]

To Bob, the anti-anti mercury zealot:

There can actually be NO definitive study that will show mercury doesn't cause autism. There might be NO study that can tell us WHAT causes autism. The reason is that you can't take the same, healthy child who then gets autism and do a specific test to find out what made the change. You'd have to be able to have a healthy child (or group of children) and have parents that would allow doctors to inject different things into them while maintaining a control group with placebos. Done enough, and getting enough linked data, you MIGHT be able to figure out if one thing is causing autism. But obviously, no parent in their right mind would participate in such a study. Thus, unless some new medical testing breakthrough comes in where we can study the human body in an historical way, we won't be able to determine and exact cause/effect (before/after) autism shows up.

The best we can do right now is go back in time, figure out when autism rates started going up, then try to coincide that with the different factors that have changed (food, vaccines, etc). That way, we MIGHT be able to get some theories on what's causing it. Testing some of those, by removin the factors, may cause a decrease in autism. Obviously, this will take years.

[stnick007]

THANK YOU James Wahler, that is terrific information that I say AMEN to.

The safety concerns are valid and anyone "trusting" the CDC and FDA could use a wake up call.
Its this same FDA that approved a Cox-2 Inhibitor as a "pain" management drug called Vioxx that has KILLED over 55,000 from heart attacks.

The FDA has approved Tamiflu for children under 1 year of age while in Japan, they will not give it to children under 7 due to delirium and other side effects.

No one needs to get sick from this H1N1, seasonal flu, or even the common cold in my opinion if they don't want to.
Here are a few things you can do that may protect you as well as a vaccination or the "anti-viral" drugs:

* Get your Vitamin D3 level up to 60ng
* Sambucol is an amino acid that is 3 times more effective than Tamiflu and has no known side effects
* check into a Vitamin C infusion as an alternative to getting the flu shot, it was just reported to have brought a guy on his death bed back from the brink as he was dying from the H1N1 flu
* learn about making your own and taking Colloidal Silver, I've been personally using it for over 12 years, I'm NOT blue, and its shortened the 7 day flu to 1 day for me and the 8 week flu from 2005 to just 1 week
* if you travel, Dr. Jeremy Wright's information about SSKI has some serious prospects of protection
* if someone in your house is sick, get them to wear one of the N95 masks, it will help everyone else
* Get some of this BioShield75, its a nano technology that disinfects surfaces immediately and continues to disinfect them for well OVER 90 days

I'm personally not getting ANY flu shot, mercury/thimersol or squalene adjuvants or not. The statistics of prevention are dismal at best and if you get your statistics from Big Pharma, CDC, or FDA, of course they will be biased, that's their job, they'll give you stats indicating 70%-90% effectiveness, outside sources show more like 7% with only 1.6 days of work being saved due to getting the vaccination.

Why put ourselves unnecessarily at risk when there are so MANY really terrific alternatives?

[George]

Here's the information from the CDC concerning H1N1 vaccine safety:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_safety_qa.htm

I called the CDC concerning the mercury claim. No, there is no mercury. It is the perservative Theramathal (sp?), which is not mercury itself but like a derivative. Single dose packs do not contain this perservative, and you can specify this if you wish. However, this perservative has been used in other vaccines with no ill effects.

Feel free to contact the CDC directly if you wish. Phone number is 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).

[George]

alice, could you please provide a link to the source of your information? I would like to read about this so-called legal immunity before making any judgement.

[George]

Hi there. Very good information on this and www.cdc.gov web sites concerning H1N1. I plan to get the shot because of my family history and I believe just because you do not get the flu symptoms does not mean that you are not a carrier, putting others at risk.

Here's an interesting twist: my doctor refuses to offer H1N1 vaccine since he believes it is unnecessary. So even the medical community appears to be divided on the H1N1 vaccine's necessity. This viewpoint still does not deter me in getting the vaccine ... I just have to obtain it elsewhere. My mother is also going to get the shot since she will be traveling internationally soon.

Heidi, no the shot does not contain mercury. No vaccine contains mercury.

[James Wahler]

Health care workers in the UK, NYC and elsewhere across the country are refusing to take the shot because;

#1 - The vaccine production was "rushed" and the vaccine has never been tested on humans.

#2 - Swine flu vaccines contain dangerous adjuvants that cause an inflammatory response in the body. This is why they are suspected of causing autism and other neurological disorders.

#3 - The swine flu vaccine could actually increase your risk of death from swine flu by altering (or suppressing) your immune system response. There is zero evidence that even seasonal flu shots offer any meaningful protection for people who take the jabs.

#4 - Doctors still don't know why the 1976 swine flu vaccines paralyzed so many people. And that means they really have no clue whether the upcoming vaccine might cause the same devastating side effects.

#5 - Even if the swine flu vaccine kills you, the drug companies aren't responsible. The U.S. government has granted drug companies complete immunity against vaccine product liability. Thanks to that blanket immunity, drug companies have no incentive to make safe vaccines, because they only get paid based on quantity, not safety (zero liability).

#6 - No swine flu vaccine works as well as vitamin D to protect you from influenza. That's an inconvenient scientific fact that the U.S. government, the FDA and Big Pharma hope the people never realize.

7# - This is a very mild version of the flu. 95% of deaths, and/or hospitalizations have occurred to people with underlying health problems AND to totals are only a fraction of the average number of deaths from 'seasonal' flu.

8# - No swine flu vaccine works as well as vitamin D3 to protect you from influenza.

[Adele]

What about those who are over 65 and have severe immune deficiencies, including asthma (aka underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems)? There are some in this group who receive IVIG's every few weeks and, when exposed to something, come down with a full-blown case of "it" (whatever "it" is) within the next 24 to 48 hours!

[Lois]

I've read that the makers of the swine flu shot won't even take it themselves because of their concern for their safety. Is this true? Is it just the mercury (shot contains less than a can of tuna)that concerns people or is it something else, like the rush to get this on the market without the correct safety measures in place. I need the shot for medical reasons and my 2 daughters in college need ones too. Can someone, in medical authority, answer these questions for me?

[Ellen]

I've been told that because I'm being treated with antibiotics (Doxy) for Lyme Disease that I should not take any flu shot. I haven't heard this advise anywhere in the media and wonder why.

[Faithe Thomas]

You couldn't pay me to take this shot. Why use big pharma when essential oils will protect you - non-invasively!

[Bob]

Dear anti-mercury zealots: There is TWICE as much mercury in a tuna fish sandwich than a flu vaccine. And that's one single sandwich.
"So how much mercury does the average canned light tuna sandwich containing 200 grams have in it? 15µg (0.075 median PPM * 200g) - more than one dose of seasonal flu vaccine.

How much mercury does one cracker kit of albacore have in it? 25µg (0.339 median PPM * 75g) - double what the flu vaccine has."

This information is readily available from the FDA and CDC, but instead we have silly people crowing about Thimerosal, which is something people STILL think causes autism despite the fact that link was debunked by dozens of studies. And again, eating fish contains twice as much mercury as any Thimerosal shot EVER has.

[Michael]

Is it true that if you have the regular flu shot you must wait 3 montyhs to get the H1N1 flu shot ?

[Brian]

The last time I checked, ANY amount of mercury (no matter what other name these drug companies call it) is harmful. Simple search the word "mercury" and read for yourself. Yet, somehow, we are lead to believe these shots are okay? If you choose to get the shot, be sure to ask for no mercury (same goes for the flu shot). However, you may not be able to claim this on your insurance. As for the waiver, I did ask a few local medical people whom indicated the H1N1 shot requires another signature releasing the drug company from any legal action if you get injured from the shot.

[alice]

I heard the goverment gave the manufactures of the H1N1 vacine blanket immunity so they would get it out sooner. This means if you are injured you cannot sue them.

[Heidi]

Does it contain mercury? If it does, is the mercury a greater risk for children than the flu its self?