Do the Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks?

[AlaskaDenise]

The first doses of the swine flu vaccine have been shipped out, and U.S. officials are urging citizens to get vaccinated. I did an informal poll on the Nutrition Data Blog, asking readers whether they were planning to get the vaccine. Well over half of you have no intention of being vaccinated.

Many feel that the vaccine is unsafe?or, at least, untested. But many others are opting out because they just don't think the flu is that serious. They've heard that this flu is relatively mild and are willing to take their chances. While the symptoms and fatality rates may not be any worse than with the "regular" flu, the H1N1 flu is much more contagious.

Each of us is not only a potential victim but a potential carrier. The more people that opt out of vaccination, the more widespread the outbreak will be, and, ultimately, the more fatalities we will likely see. And unlike with the regular flu, the majority of these deaths will occur in people under the age of 50.

Any vaccination has risks and benefits, and we each have to weigh them for ourselves. Here's hoping you and your family remain healthy this year.

http://www.nutritiondata.com/tools/archive/20091019

 

[Roehl_JC]

Re: Do the Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks?

FDA To Docs: Tell Patients Swine Flu Vaccine Is OK

By Scott Hensley

Hey, doc, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg wants to thank you for all your hard work dealing with the swine flu. Oh, and by the way, if your patients have questions about the new H1N1 vaccine, she's got some answers

We've been getting quite a few of those queries ourselves, such as, is the vaccine effective?
So if you're wondering what your doctor is being told about the vaccine, check out Hamburg's
letter to health-care professionals.

We can give you the high points. She acknowledges that some patients may wonder how everyone can be so confident a vaccine developed in only six months is OK.

Here's why, she says.

Manufacturers followed the time-tested recipe that has safely made millions of doses of the usual seasonal flu vaccine;
FDA verified the companies met quality and manufacturing standards before approving the vaccines for use; and,
Just in case, the FDA and other agencies are watching for problems.
Hamburg declares, "We are not cutting any corners." In fact, the most interesting part of the letter to us was her account of all the work that went into lining up extra chicken eggs to grow the H1N1 virus that goes into the vaccine

So you're convinced and want to get immunized. Where do you get the scarce shots or spray anyway? Try searching Google's nifty Flu Shot Finder here. Another option is the government's Flu Shot Locator here, but it's a little more trouble to use

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/11/fda_to_docs_tell_patients_swin.html