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Many Americans Still Leery of Swine Flu Vaccine

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TUESDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Even as the H1N1 swine flu vaccine is distributed coast to coast, many people say they have safety concerns that may stop them from getting vaccinated.

Although experts say those fears are unwarranted, a recent Associated Press-GfK poll found only about half of Americans said they are planning to get the vaccine. Most of those are older people -- so far among the least vulnerable to the virus.

Almost three-quarters of respondents said they were concerned about the vaccine's safety (although many of these said they still were going to get the shot).

And a University of Michigan poll found that only 40 percent of parents wanted to get their children inoculated.

But experts and officials continue to stress that not only is the vaccine safe, it's the surest way to protect yourself from the H1N1 swine flu virus.

"The H1N1 vaccine is made in exactly the same way, using the same material, the same companies, the same process as the seasonal flu vaccine we make every single year and give to tens and tens of millions of people," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

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