To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate; That is the Question.

As it stands, you've probably already either heard of, or had, the H1N1 virus. A startling 99% of all subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses. H1N1, or Swine Flu, is a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses. There is a vaccine in the works, to be released sometime this month.

It will be distributed in the form of a nasal spray first. The nasal spray, which contains a weak version of the live virus, can't used in people at high risk of illness, including women who are pregnant and those with underlying medical conditions.

Twenty-five states and large cities in the U.S. have already placed orders for the vaccine, with the first 600,000 doses of the drug expected to arrive shortly. Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia will be among the first places where the vaccine is available. The spray is recommended for other people between the ages of 2 and 49 in the CDC’s priority groups. This includes health-care workers, who are being urged to receive the vaccinations early for the protection of patients and to sustain the health system.

However, nearly two-thirds of U.S. parents say they will hold off having their children vaccinated against H1N1 or will not get them immunized at all, according to a survey released in September.

A magazine published by the nonprofit advocacy group Consumers Union took a phone survey of 1,502 adults from September 2-7. Its results show that 50 percent of parents are delaying the decision on vaccination, mainly because they were concerned about whether or not the new vaccine has been tested sufficiently.

14 percent of surveyed parents have ruled out having their children vaccinated altogether. About 35 percent of adults surveyed said they would definitely have their children vaccinated, a significantly higher number than the 22 percent of 5- to 18-year-olds who are immunized in a typical year, according to federal statistics. It was also found that 43 percent of parents weren’t too concerned about their children contracting H1N1 at all.

The poll, which has a 3-percentage point margin of error, was taken before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine.

While state agencies are working to get the word out to hospitals and businesses about the vaccine, some parents say they don’t feel like they know enough to make an informed decision for their children. The situation is making a lot of parents uneasy.

But for some, vaccination may be very important.

Asthma and diabetes can be quite dangerously aggravated by H1N1, according to director of the Infectious Disease Clinic at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, Massachusetts. While it does not make asthmatics more likely to catch swine flu, it may compound their breathing problems. Diabetics, likewise, are not any more at risk of contraction, but once infected, their blood glucose levels can rise, and cause complications with their regular treatments.

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? Well, there are so many factors, situations, and opinions that there can be no one-size-fits-all answer. It may be a personal decision, between you and your doctor; you may feel that you have no other choice; or perhaps you feel safe without it. It all depends on your interpretation of the facts.

Sources: MSN.com, CDC.gov, and the Milford Daily News.