40 Percent 'Certain' To Get H1N1 Vaccine

Published: Oct. 5, 2009 at 8:59 PM

Forty percent of U.S. adults sat they are "absolutely certain" they will get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves, a survey indicates.

The survey by the Harvard School of Public Health also found 51 percent of parents are "absolutely certain" they will get the vaccine for their children.

The poll, conducted Sept. 14-20, found about six in 10 adults are not "absolutely certain" they will get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves -- including 41 percent who say they will not get it, 6 percent who say they don't know and 11 percent who say they are planning to get it, but may change their mind.

However, if people in their community were sick or dying from H1N1, 59 percent say they would change their mind and get the vaccine for themselves, while 60 percent would do the same for say for their children.

"These findings suggest that public health officials need to be prepared for a surge in demand for the H1N1 vaccine if the H1N1 flu becomes more severe," Robert J. Blendon, a professor at Harvard School of Public Health, says in a statement.

Those who say they are not "absolutely certain" they will get the H1N1 vaccine cite reasons that include concern over side effects, they don't think they are at risk of getting a serious case of the flu and they think they could get medication to treat H1N1 if they do get sick.

The poll, conducted by HORP by SSRS/ICR of Media, has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.