A national survey suggests parents are confused about the risks of the (H1N1) virus and its vaccine.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Most parents won't have kids get H1N1 flu shots, study finds

Germ-spreading schoolchildren are expected to be the focus of a massive U.S. vaccination campaign against the novel H1N1 flu.

But if their parents are hearing the rallying cry to have their kids vaccinated, they're not buying it, says a new national survey.

In a poll of 1,678 U.S. parents conducted by the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, 40% said they would get their children immunized against the H1N1 virus -- even as 54% indicated they would get their kids vaccinated against regular seasonal flu.

Among those who said they do not intend to have their kids vaccinated against H1N1, almost half -- 46% -- indicated they're not worried about their children becoming ill with the pandemic virus. Twenty percent said they do not believe the H1N1 flu is a serious disease.

There were differences along racial and ethnic lines in parents' responses, which were collected Aug. 13 to Aug. 31. More than half of Latino parents said they would bring their kids to get vaccinated against H1N1. Among white parents, 38% said they would do so. African American parents were the least inclined to vaccinate: 30% said they planned to do so.

About half of the parents who said they'd pass on the H1N1 flu shot for their kids expressed concern about possible side effects of the vaccine.

The chatter about seasonal flu and novel H1N1 flu, and the differences in their relative virulence, has certainly confused parents, the survey suggests. Half of respondents said they believe that, for children, seasonal and H1N1 flu pose roughly equivalent risks.

"That perception may not match the actual risks," Dr. Matthew Davis, the poll director, said in a statement. Davis is a University of Michigan professor of pediatrics and internal medicine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that though serious complications of seasonal flu appear to spare most kids and strike the elderly and very young most heavily, the novel H1N1 flu appears to hit children and young adults hardest.

Not surprisingly, parents who believe that the H1N1 flu will be worse for children were most likely to say they will have their own children vaccinated.

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.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...,0,579663.story

[garfield529 47]

Some parents are also cautious of vaccinations in general due to unsubstantiated claims and anecdotal evidence that there is a link between vaccination and autism. However, just because something is the topic on Oprah does not mean it is validated science or truth. Due to the nature of this year's H1N1 flu, vaccination would help to attenuate the spread of the virus and hopefully limit the exposure to those younger and older individuals who are at greatest risk. We are overdue for a strong strain of influenza and the reactions of most Americans has demonstrated that when it does strike we will be woefully unprepared. Fortunately, there are over 6 billion of us in the "herd"...so it won't thin too much

[Dakine 26]

It's a tough decision for EVERYONE . It's like all medicine. Do the benefits outweigh the side effects?

[garfield529 47]

It's a tough decision for EVERYONE . It's like all medicine. Do the benefits outweigh the side effects?

Another point is that everyone is concerned that this is the MAJOR flu pandemic that has been waiting to strike. The same fear was arisen in 1976 with that swine flu strain and the possible connection to the 1918 flu. A vaccine was rushed to the population without sufficient time for proper testing and the result was no pandemic...but Guillain-Barre syndrome in several hundred people. There is no proof so far that this unique strain has higher mortality rates...except for those at the onset in Mexico...bullet missed?? So, at this point, the risks may be much less than the potential side effects..

[trillium13 84]

I saw a story on the news tonight about "swine flu parties". Parents bring their kid to the home of someone who has swine flu and try to infect their kids with it by letting them share drinks, etc. They think that if they expose their kids to it now, the kids will be better off when the virus becomes "more deadly".

Seeing as how plenty of people have died from it already, this seems like a stupid idea to me.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Oh, great! The nurses are getting on TV telling everyone the vaccine is more deadly than the disease!

The H1N1 virus will disproportionately kill teens and preteens and the healthcare workers don't want to take the neccessary precautions to protect our children. Great!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that though serious complications of seasonal flu appear to spare most kids and strike the elderly and very young most heavily, the novel H1N1 flu appears to hit children and young adults hardest.

Not surprisingly, parents who believe that the H1N1 flu will be worse for children were most likely to say they will have their own children vaccinated.

Edited September 30, 2009 by Lone Ranger

[HannahP 119]

My nursing school does a major flu-shot drive every year and from they've been telling us, there is going to be a fairly substantial shortage of the H1N1 vaccine. It's not going to be given out to the general public but to at-risk folks (which right now seems to be the inverse of what is considered a traditional at-risk pt for flu complications!) and health care workers.

[HAL 9000 96]

H1N1 vaccine is almost available for most folks here. As most of us have taken the seasonal vaccine over the last week, we're waiting on the spiking cases seen all over the country. Its virulence that is being looked at, not necessarily the subsequent mortality rates. Hope we don't need it but at the present propagation rates it will very likely become part of the yearly repertoire of suggested vaccines in the coming years. Independent of mortality.

[Dan J 277]

I saw a story on the news tonight about "swine flu parties". Parents bring their kid to the home of someone who has swine flu and try to infect their kids with it by letting them share drinks, etc. They think that if they expose their kids to it now, the kids will be better off when the virus becomes "more deadly".

Seeing as how plenty of people have died from it already, this seems like a stupid idea to me.

That does kind of work, you will have an immunity to that particular strain if you do get the virus and then recover. But if it does get "more deadly" the strain may not be similar enough to for antibodies to do anything about it.

[HAL 9000 96]

True... modern virii are pretty sneaky about them mutashuns...