Poll: Many Canadians to avoid H1N1 vaccine

[The Straight Story]

Poll: Many Canadians to avoid H1N1 vaccine

OTTAWA, Oct. 24 (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.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/10/24/Poll-Many-Canadians-to-avoid-H1N1-vaccine/UPI-52301256402358/

[Oregone]

1. Dumb

In a country everyone can get in within the next few weeks, they are passing it up?

Im sending half my family to the clinic Monday for the first shots

[goclark]

2. I get confused ~ which shots should Seniors take ~

I've already taken my regular flu shot ~

[pnwmom]

5. You've had the regular shot they most want Seniors to get. Many seniors already

have some protection against H1N1 (swine flu) because of similar viruses in the 1950's and even earlier.

Later in the flu season they'll be recommending swine flu for anyone who wants it, but at this point they consider seniors relatively low risk.

[iamtechus]

10. I'm 66 and that didn't help me

I've just been through about 5 days of misery with it. Those who refuse the vaccine are apparently among that small percentage of us who must learn everything the hard way.

[goclark]

11. Thanks ~ I'll keep checking with my doctor

My Mom is 91 and I got a box of 50 face mask about 3 months ago.

Now I am hearing that they are all out in a lot of places.

Think I'll carry some in my purse for my Mom and for me.

[Posteritatis]

3. This one isn't one of them (nt)

[imdjh]

4. Good, between illegal immigration and irresponsible reproduction we're going to need the space.

[vadawg]

6. rofl, ever the practical one there.....

[ZombieHorde]

7. H1N1 has a survival rate of 99.5%, some estimates are higher.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17466-swine-flu-death-rate-estimates-flawed.html

H1N1 is less scary than the regular flu.

[Oregone]

8. "H1N1 is less scary than the regular flu"

Firstly, 99.5% survival is worse than the regular flu. That aside, how scary it is depends on who you are, being that 32 is the mean age of ICU patients and 75% or so of those are women. To that segment, it is very scary.

So, eh...sure.

And BTW, vents are required for most of the ICU patients. That survival rate could drop quickly if the vents are in use (and many patients need a single vent for more than 2 weeks).

[Posteritatis]

9. One of my friends spent three weeks on one this month

He's an otherwise-healthy non-immunocompromised 32-year-old male, so yeah.

[ZombieHorde]

12. "Firstly, 99.5% survival is worse than the regular flu."

I just went to the CDC website, and they said we are both full of shit.

CDC does not know exactly how many people die from seasonal flu each year. There are several reasons for this: First, states are not required to report individual seasonal flu cases or deaths of people older than 18 years of age to CDC. Second, seasonal influenza is infrequently listed on death certificates of people who die from flu-related complications <12>. Third, many seasonal flu-related deaths occur one or two weeks after a person’s initial infection, either because the person may develop a secondary bacterial co-infection (such as a staph infection) <1,8,11> or because seasonal influenza can aggravate an existing chronic illness (such as congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) <3>. Also, most people who die from seasonal flu-related complications are not tested for flu, or they seek medical care later in their illness when seasonal influenza can no longer be detected from respiratory samples. Influenza tests are only likely to detect influenza if performed within a week after onset of illness. For these reasons, many flu-related deaths may not be recorded on death certificates. These are some of the reasons that CDC and other public health agencies in the United States and other countries use statistical models to estimate the annual number of seasonal flu-related deaths. (Flu deaths in children were made a nationally notifiable condition in 2004, and since then, states have been required to report flu-related child deaths in the United States through the Influenza Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System).
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/us_flu-related_deaths.htm

Side note: if you have a "firstly," you should have a "secondly."

[imdjh]

14. Oh well, back to arsenic. nt

[ZombieHorde]

15. The preferred date rape drug for necrophiliacs. nt

[ZombieHorde]

16. Hiccup. nt

[the other one]

13. They are not excitable like the crazies down here

They just don't buy all the hype that a lot of US-ians have. And if I have implied that you are crAzy then you should get over it. Being crAzy.

[earth mom]

17. Glad to hear that Canadians are smart enought not to buy into the terra terra terra fear fear fear.

Canada :yourock: