Health workers refuse H1N1 vaccine

26 August 2009 | 09:06:53 AM| Source: AFP

swine_flu_vaccine_injection_1507_B_EPA_761124689

Side effects and efficacy are major concerns around the swine flu vaccine. (EPA)

More than half of healthcare workers surveyed in Hong Kong said they would refuse to be vaccinated against swine flu, according to a study.

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Fear of side effects and doubts over efficacy were the two main reasons cited, said the study, published online by the British Medical Journal.
  
The Hong Kong survey echoes a recent sounding of 1,500 nurses in Britain, 30 percent of whom also said they would not allow themselves to be jabbed.
  
Vaccinating health workers to protect essential health infrastructure is the cornerstone of virtually all international and national plans for coping with the swine flu virus.
  
If doctors and nurses are sick as the pandemic peaks, it could wreak havoc on health care systems, experts warn.
  
On Tuesday the European Union, following guidelines laid out by the World Health Organisation (WHO), said health workers should be vaccinated first, along with pregnant women and persons with underlying chronic conditions.
  
US health authorities have outlined similar priorities.
  
The reluctance of Hong Kong health professionals to be vaccinated is surprising, the authors say.
  
The territory was hit especially hard by the SARS epidemic in 2002 and 2003, and the survey was conducted just after the WHO escalated its alert for the current pandemic to level five, just one notch shy of a full-blown pandemic.
  
A team of researchers led by Paul Chan from the Chinese University of Hong Kong surveyed over 8,500 doctors, nurses, and other health professionals working at 31 hospital departments in Hong Kong.
  
Participants were questioned first in early 2009, when the WHO influenza pandemic alert was at level 3, and again in May, when level had just be raised to 5.
  
Results were virtually the same both times, with only 47 and 48 percent saying they would get vaccinated.
  
The "yes" cohort tended to be younger, had received the seasonal flu vaccine last season, and feared they were more likely to get swine flu.
  
"This study provides important information on barriers to vaccination," the authors conclude.
  
"Campaigns to promote vaccination should consider addressing the knowledge gap of staff and the specific target groups for intervention."
  
In a commentary, also in the BMJ, Rachel Jordan from the University of Birmingham and Andrew Hayward from the UCL Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology in London point out that vaccination for healthcare workers is important for their own protection, as well as the wellbeing of patients.

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Your Comments

30 Aug 2009 14:10 AEST

John Caley

From: Launceston

Deliberate Infection NOW

Quote >>> Vaccinating health workers to protect essential health infrastructure is the cornerstone of virtually all international and national plans for coping with the swine flu virus. If doctors and nurses are sick as the pandemic peaks, it could wreak havoc on health care systems, experts warn. >>> If THEY are so worried and this was the truth then ALL health care workers should be infected (staggered) deliberately with swine flu, NOW while the health system has adequate facilities to protect/treat these essential personnel...I expect there would be no deaths...adequate drugs and respiratory equipment is still under utilised to wait could be fatal. An infection should make them immune.... the risk level from deliberate infection v vaccination would be much lower with a managed infection. AND if this is a biological attack... and another variant is released, and that will happen when the existing health capacity is overstretched..... then real war starts. Microbiologist

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29 Aug 2009 11:48 AEST

Eric

From: Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Would prefer Ampligen

Seems as though more people across the Atlantic know more about Ampligen and it's good track record then us government puppets here in the states. No matter what the US government says you wouldn't be able to jab me in the arm with some last minute thrown together concogtion vaccine. Better yet god for bid I couldn't sue anybody because the US governement is protecting the Big Pharma companies. That makes me feel even better about this whole vaccination thing. Ampligen I would have no problem.

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27 Aug 2009 9:49 AEST

Dan

From: Perth

Toxic Vaccine

It's little wonder that educated health care workers may be tempted to leave this paticular vaccine alone.
The Swine Flu vaccione contains alarming quantities of the adjuvant MF-59 which contains a main ingredient of concern - Squalene.
A no. of studies have shown that squalene can trigger serious autoimmune diseases when injected.
It's interesting to note the potential relationship between the amount of squalene in the deadly Anthrax vaccine and Gulf War Syndrome.
Beware the flu vaccine.

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