Majority of Parents Will Not Vaccinate Their Children For H1N1
September 30, 2009 by Karlynn Johnston
Filed under Super Natural
I was really surprised to read this article in the LA Times, indicating that only 40% of parents polled said they would get their child(ren) vaccinated for the H1N1 virus this year. Reasons ranged from a lack of concern about H1N1 to belief that H1N1 isn’t a serious disease at all. Concern about side effects of the vaccinations were claimed by around half of the parents who are passing on the vaccine.
H1N1 has appeared to hit young adults and children the hardest in other areas, but I do believe that so far in Canada, most people who have died from H1N1 had underlying medical conditions, or were another “risk” category. (pregnant, elderly, immunodeficient) Correct me if I am wrong on those stats, but I know the ones here in Alberta had medical conditions, and the children who have had it here, have all recovered at home or in hospital.
This quote sums up how public health officials in the US are viewing this strain of flu.
In a news release accompanying the poll results, Davis said that public health officials wishing to maximize vaccination rates among schoolchildren need to communicate clearly to their parents that kids are at relatively greater risk of becoming seriously ill with the novel flu strain if they get it.
Personally, I think for the first year ever, my family is going to get the flu shots, but don’t hold to me that quote yet. I have a lot to figure out and research, but this year my son is attending school on a full time basis, my daughter has entered school, and I work in the hospital that would be handling all the major flu cases that concern children, and a lot of adult ones as well. We are going to be over-exposed to the virus this year, in fact, ALL the flu strains this year and for the first time ever, I am concerned about it. I will be watching the news more and more for information on the vaccine.
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