Poll says 1/3 of parents oppose H1N1 vaccine

ATLANTA — As the first wave of swine flu vaccine crosses the country, more than a third of parents don't want their kids vaccinated, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.

Some parents say they are concerned about side effects from the new vaccine — even though nothing serious has turned up in tests so far — while others say swine flu doesn't amount to any greater health threat than seasonal flu.

The AP poll found that 38 percent of parents said they were unlikely to give permission for their kids to be vaccinated at school.

As for adults, only 52 percent of Americans say they're likely to line up for it, said the poll released Wednesday.

This brand-new flu — what scientists call the 2009 H1N1 strain — is mostly a younger person's infection. Children, young adults and pregnant women are supposed to be first in line for vaccinations.

Yet 62 percent of people 65 and older say they'll likely seek a swine flu shot, even though that older generation appears to have some resistance to the new strain — and thus is supposed to wait to be vaccinated until those with a higher risk go first. In contrast, 45 percent of people ages 18 to 29 want to be vaccinated.

The belief that the new vaccine could be risky is one federal health officials have been fighting from the start, and they plan an unprecedented system of monitoring for side effects.

They note that swine flu vaccine is made the same way as seasonal flu vaccines that have been used for years. And no scary side effects have turned up in tests on volunteers, including children.

On Wednesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appealed for widespread inoculation against swine flu, vouching unconditionally for the vaccine: "We know it's safe and secure."

The AP poll, conducted Oct. 1-5, found 72 percent of those surveyed are worried about side effects, although more than half say that wouldn't stop them from getting the vaccine to protect their kids from the new flu.

Giving flu shots to schoolchildren is also an idea many parents are still getting used to. It was only last year that the government recommendation kicked in for virtually all children to get it. Seasonal flu vaccination rates for children last year ranged from about 48 percent for toddlers to about 9 percent for teens.