American Morning
Parents divided over the H1N1 vaccine
By Nailah Ellis Timberlake
The Centers for Disease Control reports that 41 states are currently experiencing widespread influenza activity and that the number of cases is unprecedented.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/HEALTH/09/30/h1n1.vaccine.decision/art.h1n1.vaccine.csl.gi.jpg caption="Clinical trials to test the effectiveness and safety of the H1N1 vaccine have been under way since the summer."]
Among the heavy flu states is New York. In New York City, the numbers of infected were huge last spring at the outset of the H1N1, or Swine Flu epidemic.
Even though young children are being the hardest hit by the swine flu, many parents are not sold on the idea of vaccinating their young children. Queens resident Darrow Hill, father of a 4-year-old girl, is adamantly against it.
"I don't believe that giving vaccines at an early age is a good idea," he said. "It doesn't let the body fight off illnesses naturally and it leaves the body susceptible." In a press release issued this week, New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said that, "getting vaccinated is safe, effective and simple," and urges parents to allow their children to be immunized.
Darrow said he would let his daughter get vaccinated only if a child she had been in direct contact with became infected.
Turia Goggins is a teacher's assistant at a Harlem elementary school where her students have already been sent home with permission slips for their parents to sign – or not sign – depending on whether they wanted their children to receive the H1N1 vaccine.
"At work, I'm worried about being infected and I'm constantly washing my hands and using hand sanitizer and having my students do the same," Goggins said. "It's overwhelming to be put at risk working in a school every day and then to worry about my child's health as well."
Turia has yet to sign the permission slip allowing her 11-year-old daughter to get the shot. "I need to do some research on the side effects first because my daughter has asthma and I want to make sure it won't affect her negatively. I'll more than likely let her get the shot because I think it's necessary to keep kids from getting sick."
Over the next few weeks, parents of every elementary public school student in New York City will have the option to have their child vaccinated at school. It's free and it comes in either a shot or nasal spray form – a medical expert on site decides which is more appropriate for each child.
The CDC has admitted that vaccine production is behind schedule and that, by the end of the month, there could be 10 million to 12 million fewer doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine then had originally been projected. The CDC says developing the vaccine using millions of chicken eggs takes time and there’s a laborious testing process.
Dr. Jane R. Zucker, assistant commissioner for the New York Bureau of Immunization, says she doesn't foresee any delay in getting the vaccine out to elementary schools in New York City.
"We had been informed that the allocation of the vaccine provided to New York City is lower than it's expected to be," she said, "so we've been distributing it with a focus on those that care for children and we anticipate that we will have enough vaccines to continue the school program at this time."
According to the city's health department, the city expects to receive about 1.2 million doses of nasal spray and injectable vaccine by the end of the month, followed by shipments of 2 million doses each month during November, December and January. The first round of vaccinations in elementary schools will start in the next few weeks, with weekend vaccinations in November for middle and high school students.
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No shot for me, thanks. It was thrown together too fast and was not properly tested.
I have not heard CNN mention the shortage of the H1N1 vaccine, and make a big fuss. Had this not been the present administration you would have been standing on top of your desk screaming that the govt was not prepared,and that they were inept in mishandling this situation. Why not now? Please do your job consistently no matter who is in office.
I've tried to call AM-FIX to no avail for three or four weekdays.
For all you geniuses, the reason that we have a shortage of H1N1 flu vaccine is because BIG PhRMA is delibertly with-holding it because of the status of health care reform !
When speaking with an experimental pharmaceutical chemist who works at one of the world's largest drug manufacturers, expressed (to me) that if I thought the shortage of the H1N1 flu vaccine didn't have anything to do with Obama's health care reform, I'd be the most naive person in the whole universe ! If you don't believe it, you would be naive too !
This means that the BIG PhRMA is delibertly killing children and cronically ill people on purpose simply for monitary gain.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find that The Repugnacans are partially behind this action !
I've reported this to numerous news organizations and none have investigated the information. Is CNN complicit ? Some people believe that the news agencies are all culpable and have entered with The U. S. Government into a conspiracy to keep this from the general public !
I got my flu, H1N1, and influzena shots. I trust my doctor and he has never led me in the wrong direction. I choose to be positive about receiving those shots.
Eating right does not prevent viral infection. Drinking tea in the morning does not prevent viral infection. Please, please.. get an education. Vaccine theory is a hundred years old and if vaccines did not work then you would probably be seeing people crippled by polio, like your grandparents probably saw when they were young.
Ignorance is no excuse. Get an education, and if you can't get one then please trust those who have one.
Nice pic of an evil man and his brood, so what?
This is to parents instead of worring about this ,time to buld up your kids bodies so they can fight all these health issues .You can start by making sure your kids drink a cup of tea in the morning expain to them the same way you explain why they are taking these shots how important it is .We meaning everyone needs to start eating right meaning balance meals ,we also need to jump in the shower if it is for a minute once you have gone out in public .That way you bring germs from outside into your home ,people should quit complain and laying blame and stop worrying about cures lets worry about prevention.
HI
I been to the emergency room with my daughter and the staff has mixed reviews on the swine flu shots.. I found only one doctor that actually recommended the vaccine, the nurses do not trust it at all.
They say it is not studied enough to their satisfaction.
The public stations, are saying this flu came out of a petri dish,
commenting that how they came up with a vaccine so fast. they already had it.
The publis stations are spending a bit more time on the subject
than network news.
In any case, the most likely place one would pick up the virus
is of all things doorknobs, evreyone touches them and for the most part no one cleans them on a regular basis.
This was an old hospital tip a nurse told me for staff infections.
We do need more than a 30 second sound bytes on this subject ,
people are very wary of what the govt is saying about this vaccine.