Swine Flu Vaccine – Two Reasons for Refusing

Why Not Take the H1N1 Vaccine? Reasons Against the Flu Shot

Oct 27, 2009 Thomas Alan Gray

Almost half of the people in North America are planning not to take the H1N1 vaccine. Two reasons: low risk and perceived low danger of swine flu infection.

"I really don't understand all the people who are arguing against getting this vaccine. I sincerely want to know what the reasonings are behind this…" This plaintive cry came from a comment posted October 26, 2009 at cbc.com in response to a story about huge lineups for H1N1 vaccine.

Here are just a couple of the less common reasons why an estimated 40% to 50% of Canadians and 60% of Americans are planning not to receive the swine flu vaccine.

Considering the Odds against H1N1 Death

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, H1N1 2009 Update 71), there are 5,000 confirmed deaths from H1N1 to date. The world population of over 6,000,000,000 people means that the statistical odds of dying from H1N1 so far have been less than one in 1.2 million. Granted, there are areas where the risk is higher; in Alberta, Canada, for example, to date there have been 14 reported deaths (CHED News, Nov 2, 2009) in a population of 3.5 million for a risk of about 4 in a million.

For comparison, on average, over 40,000 people die in traffic accidents each year in America alone (source: FARS Encyclopedia, http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx).

Although any death is a tragedy, it does not seem logical to take such dramatic action against so low a risk.

Many Believe That H1N1 Pandemic Danger has been Grossly Exaggerated

World Health Organization (WHO) leaders have taken care to stress that a pandemic refers only to the geographic spread of a disease, not its severity.

Here is a statement to the press by WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, June 11, 2009:

• “Globally, we have good reason to believe that this pandemic, at least in its early days, will be of moderate severity,” Chan said. “On present evidence, the overwhelming majority of patients experience mild symptoms and make a rapid and full recovery, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment.”

Has the severity of the H1N1 pandemic changed as the world enters (and in some areas has passed through) the flu season?

As early as July 23, 2009, Finnish health authorities are quoted in a statement at NewsRoom FInland as announcing that:

• "Swine influenza would be downgraded as a threat given that the bulk of patients appeared to recover well without medication or hospital care."

WHO Update 71 notes that:

• " ...Influenza activity is low in most countries in Europe."
• "Rates of respiratory illness in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia are increasing but are not yet at levels normally seen in an influenza season."

Note that this is not just H1N1, but what WHO calls "Influenza Like Illness" or ILI. In other words, anything that even resembles influenza is reported.

H1N1 Target Demographic

The scary tragedy of swine flu (H1N1) is that it attacks a different demographic compared to previous seasonal influenza epidemics. Where other flu strains affect the very young and the very old, H1N1 affects the mid-range of 10 to 50. (CDC reports that 53 percent of patients hospitalized with H1N1 are under 25).

Still, to many even within the target population, that is insufficient reason to take the H1N1 flu vaccine.

Related Articles:

• Has the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Been Adequately Tested?
• Was the H1N1 Vaccine for Swine Flu Rushed to Approval?
• Reasons People Give for Not Taking Swine Flu Vaccine

The copyright of the article Swine Flu Vaccine – Two Reasons for Refusing in Health Field is owned by Thomas Alan Gray. Permission to republish Swine Flu Vaccine – Two Reasons for Refusing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

H1N1 Vaccine - Worth the Risk?

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Comments

Oct 28, 2009 1:54 AM

Guest :

its not what the swine flu is doing now its what it could turn into later that concerns most governments and health authoritys and as for not taking the vaccine well it leaves more vaccine for the people who do want it

Oct 28, 2009 1:57 PM

Guest :

I already got and beat swine flu with no medical treatment at all

Oct 29, 2009 5:57 PM

Guest :

Pretty soon the U.S. is going to make it mandatory...watch out! They've taken your kids away for refusing vaccinations before and history has a way of repeating itself.

Nov 17, 2009 8:08 PM

Thomas Alan Gray :

I guess our local health authorities are going with conventional wisdom. Despite that the CDC and WHO originally said about the target population, Alberta is vaccinating babies and seniors first for H1N1.

From the Health Canada web site:

Q1. Why does your information about H1N1 keep changing?

Since the H1N1 Flu Virus first appeared in Canada, we have said that the Public Health Agency of Canada’s advice would evolve as information became available. As new, credible [the earlier info was NOT credible?] information becomes available, we update our messages to the public.

4 Comments