Many Canadians to avoid H1N1 vaccine

OTTAWA (UPI) -- Nearly half of Canadians surveyed say they don't intend to be vaccinated against the H1N1 flu, a research firm said.

Of those polled by Ipsos Reid, 48 percent said they didn't intend to get the vaccine while 36 percent said they were very likely to get the vaccine and 15 percent said they were somewhat likely to get it, Canwest News Service reported Saturday.

The vaccine became available this week amid reports the H1N1 virus had infected thousands in recent weeks in the second wave of the virus this year, said Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer.

In its mildest form, H1N1 makes sufferers miserable and in its worst form, H1N1 is deadly, Butler-Jones said at a news conference Friday.

"The choice is simple: a safe and effective preventive vaccine or a very real risk of disease," Butler-Jones said.

The poll conducted Oct. 20-22 had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, Ipsos Reid said.



Copyright 2009 by United Press International

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This is an update post on the vaccines available in the states:
Flu activity is running rampant throughout the nation in 48 states and experts are reporting that virtually every case appears to be H1N1

Representatives from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced earlier today that there are currently more than 38 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine available. According to The Los Angeles Times, the 38 million doses that are currently available is 11 million more than were available at this time last week and it doubles the number of vaccines that were available two weeks ago.

It is expected that as more supplies become available to help counter-act the devastating effects caused by H1N1 swine flu, we will finally be able to see a substantial amount of progress. Flu activity is as widespread is ever in the United States since it is evident in 48 states and officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention believe that virtually every case appears to be H1N1 swine flu.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is approximating that 114 doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine will be available by the time flu season has come to a conclusion. They have announced with conviction that at least eight million more doses will available as early as next week. Statistics indicate that 7.7 percent of patients seeking treatment at doctors’ offices over the past week were experiencing flu-like symptoms.

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ATLANTA (UPI) -- Federal health officials said Friday that there is twice as much H1N1 vaccine -- 38 million doses -- available as two weeks ago.

"The majority of this is injectable doses," Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at a briefing in Atlanta.

"If all goes well, we are expecting about 8 million doses to be available in the week ahead that's if everything goes well. As vaccine supplies increase, we think things should go better, but we still don't have enough vaccine."

State and local health departments are in the best position to determine how to effectively use and direct the vaccine doses that become available, Schuchat said.

"The key now is focusing on the priority groups, children and young adults up through age 24, pregnant women, parents or caretakers of babies under 6 months. People with chronic conditions and health workers," Schuchat said.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department in Illinois developed an innovative program to provide the H1N1 vaccine to children with special needs via a clinic where the nurse comes out to the car to give the vaccination.

There have been some 90 million people vaccinated for seasonal flu, but more is needed. Usually seasonal flu strains don't increase until December through May.

"Everything we are seeing is the H1N1 virus," Schuchat said. "Hopefully, there will be additional supplies of seasonal flu vaccine."



Copyright 2009 by United Press International

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