# 3771
During my recent visit to Washington D.C., one of the main topics of conversation was the likely uptake of pandemic vaccine by the American public.
Some of the numbers I heard struck me as a bit optimistic.
A poll had recently come out (Poll: Most Americans `Not Worried’ Over Swine Flu) which indicated: 55 percent of Americans say they are apt to get the vaccine for themselves or someone in their household. Stipulating a doctor's recommendation, that percentage jumps to 65 percent.
I heard the 65% uptake number mentioned more than once.
For public health officials, the idea of getting the vaccine no doubt seems a bit of a no-brainer. They, of course, are probably among the 40% of Americans who normally get a seasonal flu shot, and so to them, the pandemic jab makes perfect sense.
They accept that the odds of an adverse reaction – while not zero – are pretty darn low. Far lower than the chances of suffering a serious complication from the flu.
The risk-reward analysis, in their minds, puts taking the vaccine way ahead.
But of course, not everyone measures risk the same way.
The constant characterization of the swine flu as being `mild’, sometimes even `milder than seasonal flu’ has no doubt dampened some of the public’s desire for pandemic jab.
We may find that we’ve inadvertently `reassured’ the public into complacency.
And anyone who has had any type of flu-like illness over the summer is likely to believe they are already immune, and in no need of the shot.
The anti-vaccine activists are out in full force, and their voices are louder (and often more organized) than the CDC’s. Public Health officials, I suspect, either don’t visit these sites or if they do, fail to understand their influence and appeal.
And while it is true that the flu vaccine won’t prevent miscarriages or heart attacks, when these things happen to people who have recently received the vaccine (and they will), the tabloid press and much of the public are going to immediately assume they are linked.
I fully expect to see a picture of a grieving mom on some scandal sheet, with the headline “THE GOVT VAX KILLED MY BABY’ sometime during this flu season.
True or not, that will sell a lot of papers.
I’m not sure that public health officials appreciate just how vociferous the anti-vaccine sentiment is in this country. While some of their arguments may seem over-the-top to scientists . . . they resonate deeply with millions of Americans.
Even among HCW’s (Health Care Workers), the uptake of the seasonal flu vaccine is only about 40%.
Recent polling suggests that HCWs are no more likely to take the pandemic jab (see HCWs: Refusing To Bare Arms).
Now we’ve got fresh polling from the University of Michigan Health System which indicates that less than half of parents are inclined to get their kids vaccinated against the H1N1 pandemic virus this fall.
H1N1 flu: Are parents underestimating risk to kids?
C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health finds less than half of parents plan to have their children vaccinated against H1N1 flu, despite higher disease risk; Hispanic parents more likely to vaccinate
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—With schools back in session, H1N1 flu has become more active across the United States—especially among children. A new vaccine against H1N1 flu—strongly recommended for kids—has been tested and is expected to be available in October. But will parents get their children vaccinated?
The latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health finds only 40 percent of parents indicate they will get their children vaccinated against H1N1 flu—while 54 percent of parents indicate they will get their children vaccinated against seasonal flu. Among parents who do not plan to get their children vaccinated against H1N1 flu, 46 percent indicate they are not worried about their children getting H1N1 flu, while 20 percent believe H1N1 flu is not serious.
“This information about parents’ plans to vaccinate their kids against H1N1 flu suggests that parents are much less concerned about H1N1 flu than seasonal flu for their kids. That perception may not match the actual risks,” says Matthew Davis, M.D., director of the poll and associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine in the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the University of Michigan Medical School.
The poll also shows vaccination plans for H1N1 flu differs by racial/ethnic groups. More than half of Hispanic parents plan to have their children vaccinated against H1N1 flu, compared to only 38 percent of white parents and 30 percent of black parents.
Disappointing numbers. But of course, subject to change.
We’ve yet to see the CDC roll out their PSA campaign (waiting, no doubt, for the vaccine to actually become available), and an uptick in media reports about dead or dying kids would probably also change the dynamic, as well.
But I see a bumpy road ahead for America’s vaccination program.
The good news, I suppose, is that even if a lot of Americans decide not to avail themselves of the pandemic vaccine, there are plenty of people in developing countries around the world who would be grateful to receive whatever we don’t end up using.
The only real sin would be for it not to be used at all.
