Swine flu is here, and there's a new challenge: getting people to take the vaccine.
A consumer reports poll recently reported that 75% of parents plan to delay or skip getting their children the H1N1 vaccine shot.
Government officials say that the vaccine is safe, and that there is no need to worry about facts like – it being rushed to quickly into production, and if it was tested adequately before release. Those concerns are not rational, and there is a large body of evidence to show that the vaccine is both safe and effective. Children world wide have been hit particularly hard by the virus, and all governments are advising parents very strongly to do what's best for their kids and get them vaccinated.
“I think many of the concerns by parents are based on the perception that this vaccine has been rushed into production and may not be safe, and we understand parents' concerns — they want what is best for their children. We often tell people the best antidote for fear is information. And we ask them to really seek out sound and reliable information from sources they trust.” Said the spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tom Skinner.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made appeals to all Americans about the safety of the vaccine, and urged them to act immediately in safeguarding themselves from this pandemic. She made extensive rounds Tuesday and Wednesday morning preaching her message of vaccination, but it is yet unclear just how well she was heard. Vouching for the safety of the vaccine, and saying it “has been made exactly the same way the seasonal vaccine has been made, year in and year out”, Sebelius was hoping to persuade parents everywhere to take action and to stay informed about the current escalating pandemic situation.
The flu shot does not give people the flu. Side effects are generally mild — soreness and swelling at the injection site, headache, occasional fever and body aches. Less common side effects include coughing, runny nose and nausea, especially in young children. These are all normal and appropriate responses by your immune system, you should not be afraid of these shall possible side effects, as it is necessary to introduce a small sample of the virus into your system in order to better combat it when faced full on. The incidence of more severe side effects is extremely low.
Infectious disease specialists in many countries say it is imperative that people trust the H1N1 shots; they are the best source of protection from a virus that has already claimed the lives of thousands.
We strongly urge parents to take precautionary steps. Flu kills many kids every year, however, there is hope and we’ve got a great vaccine to deal with it. This is especially important because this flu virus strain is highly contagious, and we all know how deadly it can be in the school systems and daycare facilities.
Skinner said 1,300 people have died from the flu since the beginning of September, and most of those deaths have been linked to the H1N1 strain of the virus.
“I think what concerns us most is that more children may die this year because they weren’t vaccinated, and that would be tragic and we don’t want that to happen, we really implore any parent to seek out information that’s reliable and can help them make a decision that’s best for their child.” said Skinner.
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