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Over half of Arizonans polled say they won't get H1N1 flu vaccine
By Stephanie Innes
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.29.2009
More than half of Arizonans say they are not going to get inoculated against the novel 2009 H1N1 virus, a new poll says.
Concern about the vaccine's safety is fueling much of the doubt, according to pollster Bruce Merrill, who polled 652 registered voters earlier this month for KAET-TV, the Phoenix PBS affiliate.
While 41 percent of those who responded said they would get the vaccine, 54 percent said they would not. Five percent were undecided.
By comparison, 58 percent of those polled said they plan to get a seasonal flu vaccine.
The poll results are a nightmare to many public health officials. Government health leaders say that while hand-washing and other common-sense prevention measures are good, vaccinations are key to preventing the spread of an influenza that is expected to cause three to four times as many illnesses as the regular, seasonal flu.
Merrill said pollsters also heard distrust of the government, and that the new strain has been over-hyped and, "doesn't seem to be that bad." They look at it as a trade-off ? they don't mind getting a little sick from the flu versus what they believe is the possibility of becoming very ill from the vaccine, he said.
Indeed, most people will recover from H1N1 without medical intervention.
Nearly 1,000 Americans have died of H1N1, also called "swine flu" this year. By comparison, regular, seasonal flu typically kills 36,000 Americans per year.
The difference with swine flu is that it's disproportionately affecting young people. As of Wednesday afternoon , 64 Arizonans had died from novel H1N1, 11 of them children under the age of 18. Three Pima County residents have died of novel H1N1 this year, two children and one young adult, all of whom had other health conditions.
The 2009 H1N1 flu virus is unique because it is a combination of genes from pig, bird and human flu viruses. People who are infected usually have flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting, though those symptoms are less common.
Rather than getting an inoculation, critics of the H1N1 vaccine are promoting, among other things, handwashing, lots of rest, increased intake of Vitamin C, exercise and a healthy diet.
Many of the vaccine-leery cite reports connecting the 1976 swine flu vaccine with Guillain-Barr? syndrome, an extremely rare but serious autoimmune disorder that sometimes causes paralysis ? usually temporary ? and in a small percentage of cases, death.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects the H1N1 vaccine to have a similar safety profile as seasonal flu vaccines, which have good safety track records. The seasonal influenza vaccine has not been consistently associated with Guillain-Barr? syndrome, federal officials say.
For parents in particular who are worried about getting their children vaccinated, Pima County's chief medical officer says it's important to think of the population as a whole.
"People are infectious for 24 hours before symptoms show up," Dr. Michelle McDonald said. "Their children could inadvertently infect someone else's child who is on chemotherapy, has cerebral palsy or has asthma. So it's possible to do significant harm to someone else. Also, a small percentage of people really struggle with this flu. There are no guarantees."
The Arizona Daily Star interviewed McDonald about the H1N1 vaccine this week. Here is an excerpt of the interview.
Q. The health department has canceled its vaccination clinics until Nov. 3. Does that mean you are out of vaccine?
A. I think we have about five doses left. We made quite an effort to get vaccines to as many people as possible. We have received everything we've placed an order for. The last time we formally placed an order was last Wednesday (Oct. 21). We're all watching our e-mail, hoping we'll be getting more.
I know how frustrating this is to everyone concerned. We're not alone. There is not the amount of vaccine anyone expected or would have wished to have right now.
Q. So far the county has given out 9,000 nasal spray vaccine doses and about 1,000 injectable vaccines. What form are you hoping to receive in the next shipment?
A. I'd want both. Personally I think the nasal spray is in some ways superior for children and adolescents and I think it's important to have a range of choices. If we could only have one, I'd say the injectable because you can give it to a wider range of people.
Q. Are private providers having the same problem with supply?
A. Yes, they are.
Q. Some parents are worried about getting their children vaccinated for safety reasons. Does the nasal spray contain Thimerosal, a form of mercury that worries some vaccine critics?
A. No, it doesn't. (Most of the injectable H1N1 vaccines do contain Thimerosal but some do not. People are advised to ask for an injectable without Thimerosal if that's what they want.)
Q. What about side effects of the vaccines?
A. We did not expect any side effects that were any different from what we see with the seasonal vaccination. So far the trials have borne that out. So far with the shot there might be redness, soreness, swelling a little in the arm and maybe a little fever.
For the spray, there's a runny nose, maybe a sore throat, feeling a little headachy and a cough and similar to the shot, some fever.
There's a far greater chance of getting sick from the flu than from the vaccine.
I strongly recommend to just get vaccinated. If they don't have the formulation (spray or injectable) that you want, get the other.
Contact reporter Stephanie Innes at 573-4134 or sinnes@azstarnet.com. Follow Stephanie Innes on Twitter at twitter.com/stephanieinnes