Most Pennsylvanians are concerned about catching swine flu, but fewer than half say they are likely to get the H1N1 vaccine if it's available, according to a new Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll.
Amid almost daily media reports about the pandemic flu, the poll puts a finger on the public pulse when it comes to the H1N1 virus.
Of the 402 people across Pennsylvania who were polled during a two-week period ending Tuesday, about 67 percent said they were concerned that either they or a member of their family could catch swine flu this year.
The results also showed many people believe they are more likely to get the seasonal flu than swine flu. This, despite the fact that more than 99 percent of flu samples in the country are testing positive for H1N1, according to the latest weekly flu report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unfortunately, real studies and credible information are often lost amid churning rumors and "second- hand horror stories," said Muhlenberg College pollster Christopher Borick, who also teaches public health policy at the college.
"It's unfortunate for science that the research is competing with rumors and myths, and there are lots of them," he said.
Clinical trial results released Wednesday by Swiftwater vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur show no serious side effects from the vaccine. The data also showed a "robust" immune response in adults with one dose of the vaccine and in children with two doses.
Yet, only 46 percent of people polled in the survey said they were likely to get vaccinated. About 28 percent said they were very likely to get vaccinated compared with 37 percent who said they were not likely at all to get an H1N1 shot. The others polled fell somewhere in the middle.
The fact that so many people are still wary of the vaccine -- despite studies and clinical trial data pointing to its safety -- was troubling but not surprising for many health officials.
"It reflects the confusion that's out there, the uncertainty," said Dr. Luther Rhodes, chief of infectious diseases for Lehigh Valley Health Network.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that the H1N1 vaccine is still not widely available to everyone, even those in priority groups, said Rhodes. Distribution problems and other issues have delayed the vaccine for many health care providers, leaving people confused about where to get a shot.
"It does not help the public health credibility," Rhodes said.
For Maria Espinoza of Philadelphia, the decision not to get a swine flu shot also reflects a certain level of distrust of modern science. Espinoza, who participated in the survey, is worried that the swine flu vaccine was produced too quickly. Though she has asthma and a heart condition that puts her at risk for complications from swine flu, she worries about side effects from the vaccine, a worry that she has in common with more than 60 percent of the people polled.
"I don't want for them to give me a shot that will end up adding something else to my health problems," Espinoza said.
Espinoza, who said her 11-year-old grandson shows symptoms of autism, suspects the culprit may be vaccines that he was given as a baby. Her fears, though not backed by mainstream research, are in step with a grass-roots movement that links autism and thimerosal, a mercury preservative used in vaccines.
Though he believes such fears are unfounded, Rhodes said he understands the choice to vaccinate is very personal. For those who are concerned, there is a thimerosal-free version of both the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines.
People should also understand that both vaccines are produced exactly the same way, said Rhodes. Even the seasonal flu vaccine is different each year with different flu strains added and subtracted from the mix.
Rhodes also understands that there is a lot of changing information about H1N1, most of it a result of earlier misconceptions about how deadly the virus would turn out to be.
Data released by the CDC last week show at least 22 million Americans have contracted H1N1 since the outbreak began in April and 3,900 have died, including about 540 children.
The total is about three times the number of deaths the agency had been reporting. Previous figures were based on laboratory-confirmed cases, while the new number reflects the best estimate by agency epidemiologists.
The new numbers also suggest the toll from swine flu may approach that normally associated with seasonal flu. About 36,000 Americans die each year from the seasonal flu.
If there is a silver lining to the H1N1 virus, it is that so many people now have taken up good hygiene practices that will help stop the spread of flu in the future.
Those positive signs also were reflected in the latest poll, with 97 percent saying they plan to wash their hands more often and 84 percent saying they will use hand disinfectants.
In addition, Rhodes believes public perception about the H1N1 vaccine is changing, especially as more people are vaccinated and doubts begin to fade.
"Seeing is believing," he said. "If you have a very active vaccine campaign in your own hometown and work sites and nothing bad happens, it's powerful proof."
The Los Angeles Times, a Tribune Publishing newspaper, contributed to this story. To see more of The Morning Call, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.mcall.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa.