Below half of US adults certain of getting A(H1N1) vaccination: survey

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 – Only 40 percent of adults in the United States are "absolutely certain" they'll get the A(H1N1) vaccine for themselves while 51 percent of parents are totally sure of getting this for their children, researchers for a Harvard School of Public Health study (HSPH) reported Friday.

The Harvard researchers polled between Sept. 14 and 20 a total 1,042 US adults for what they said was a representative sample of national opinion.

This survey noted about 60 percent of people who don't consider getting vaccinated will change their minds and get it for themselves and their children if others in their communities become sick of or die from A(H1N1), however.

"These findings suggest that public health officials need to be prepared for a surge in demand for the A(H1N1) vaccine if the A(H1N1) flu becomes more severe," said Robert J. Blendon, Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at HSPH.

Respondents who reported being not "absolutely certain" about getting the vaccine cited the following as "major" reasons for their uncertainty:

They are concerned about getting side effects from the vaccine (30 percent);

They don't consider themselves as being at risk for contracting the illness (28 percent); and

They are confident about getting medication to treat A/H1N1 if they contract this sickness (26 percent).

The top "major" reasons cited by parents who are not "absolutely sure" they will get the vaccine are:

They are concerned about side effects of the vaccine (38 percent);

They fear their children could get other illnesses from the vaccine (33 percent); and

They don't trust public health officials to provide correct information about the vaccine's safety (31 percent).

"There's still a lot of uncertainty about what people will ultimately do in terms of getting the vaccine. If public health officials want to encourage a larger number of people to get vaccinated this fall, they will need to address the public's concerns in the coming weeks," said Blendon who led the survey. (PNA/Xinhua)

LGI/CJT/rsm

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