Posted on 10/22/2004 7:37:01 PM PDT by satchmodog9
WASHINGTON - More than half of the many Americans with a relative who is at high risk of danger from getting the flu say they're worried about the vaccine shortage, according to an Associated Press poll about the crisis that has health officials scrambling for solutions and politicians blaming each other.
AP Photo
AP Poll: Widespread Worries About Flu Crisis (AP Video)
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The U.S. flu vaccine shortage became public two weeks ago when British regulators cited contamination problems in closing one of the two companies that make vaccine for the U.S. market. That nearly cut in half the 100 million doses U.S. officials were expecting.
Healthy Americans were urged to forgo shots so there would be enough for those at highest risk from influenza — children from 6 months to 23 months, the elderly, the chronically ill, pregnant women, certain health care workers and a few other groups. And the flu vaccine crisis has spilled into the presidential campaign.
More than four in 10 Americans, 42 percent, say they or someone in their family are at high risk from the flu, according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos-Public Affairs. In that high-risk group, 54 percent said they're worried about being able to get the shot.
"This worries me for my father because he's 84 and he had a stroke," said Oliver Guzman, a garage door installer from Blue Island, Ill. "We've been trying to find out where we can get them," he said, referring to the vaccine. "Flu season is coming up and we're trying to get him a shot to keep him healthy."
Each year, 200,000 Americans are hospitalized with the flu and 36,000 die. Federal authorities have asked healthy adults to refrain from getting vaccinated to leave enough for those at greatest risk: the very young, the very old and people with chronic illnesses.
"This vaccine shortage really bothers me because I have a 3-year-old grandson with epilepsy and cerebral palsy," said Judy Carter, 51, of Assumption, Ill., near Springfield. "I'm really worried about him. The 3-year-old goes to school, he's around other kids."
A third of all Americans say they're worried that someone in their family who needs a flu shot will not be able to get one. Women and people over the age of 50 were most likely to say they are worried.
The number doubles when people are asked if they are generally concerned about the shortage.
For Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites), this is another example of Bush's incompetence: first the war in Iraq (news - web sites), now flu shots at home. For Bush, the blame goes to runaway verdicts — highlighting his push to limit lawsuits. The president argues that more manufacturers would be in the vaccine business if they didn't have to worry about being sued by people who suffer adverse reactions to inoculations.
Bush told Florida voters Tuesday that he knows they are worried. And administration health officials announced this week that an additional 2.6 million doses of vaccine will soon be available.
It is not yet clear whether Americans are in the mood to blame any individual for the shortage. Recent polling indicates a majority of people do not hold the president responsible.
"I'm not sure who's to blame," said Matt Gomes, 23, of Agawam, Mass. "There are probably many people who dropped the ball."
The poll found just over a third either plan to get the flu vaccine this year or have already gotten it. Almost three in 10, 28 percent, say they plan to get the vaccine, and 7 percent say they have already gotten the vaccine this year.
About four in 10, or 42 percent, say they got the flu vaccine last season.
More than half of those over age 50 got the flu vaccine last season and three-fourths of those 65 and over.
While a substantial number of Americans say they're worried about it, a majority say it's not much of a concern.
"I don't see why people are getting upset about it," said Pat Johns, a 69-year-old retiree from Clarkston, Mich., who is healthy and doesn't plan to get a vaccine this season. "There are too many other things to worry about. I think part of the reason that they do is that they watch too much TV."
The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,000 adults was conducted Oct. 18-20 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
the media has convinced these sheeple that this is some kind of pandemic - like the Black Death.
Some Americans get absolutely hysterical over some trivial things. Almost act like children, at times.
You know, it seems to me that a lot of flu vaccines were trashed last year because Americans weren't getting them,,,didn't seem too worried then...why now? My guess is that this has bene whipped into a pseudo-issue by the lunatic left and their foaming at the mouth rabid base.
That's some amazing way of polling:
Question 1: Do you know somebody who might die if they get the flu?
If you answer No, stop the poll now. If you answer Yes, proceed to question 2.
Question 2: Are you worried about the vaccine shortage?
And they still only got 54% to say Yes to question 2!
I guess the other 46% don't really care about their loved ones.
They are working soooooo hard to make this a big issue.
They're worried because the media TOLD them to be worried. It's the FLU, for cryin' out loud. I have had it at least two dozen times in my life.
APf
I think if people were really worried, you'd see them wearing those masks over their nose and mouths --- if I thought I would die from something, I certainly would. Since it's aerosol borne, that's all it would take --- a simple surgical mask.
It's just like West Nile and SARS --- they get a few people worried, some even deadly afraid but the rest of us don't pay much attention.
The democrats want everyone so frightened that we will destroy our health care system and turn it all over to the government --- which they are also trying to convince us could fix everything, make us all live forever.
They are spending more time on the flu than they did on Dan Rather and his attempt to shove a phony story up our noses.
"Some Americans get absolutely hysterical over some trivial things. Almost act like children, at times."
Remember ... 9/10/2001, the "CRISIS" terrorizing all of America was drivers on cell phones.
And shark attacks, road rage and El Nino.
People get sick. Deal with it! This panic is absurd.
Flu shot .... schmu shot.
If Americans are overly worried about a temporary shorage of flu vaccine then we indeed have become a soft, cushy people unfit for this world.
How in the world did society survive all those hundreds of years without a flu shot???
Besides, millions of doses will be available in January, and more soon after that. If someone can't wait a few months to get a shot without having a coniption, then they obviously have flu shot anxiety syndrom.
Think on it! It's the future.
Cast Your Vote for Freedom!
Heck, do you really think Bill, Hillary, Ted, the Johns Liz, and Mama Bucks Teresa, really have their personal S#!+ all together?
No way, man!
Lets face facts...before the 1960s...no one took flu shots and American society survived the flu season (with a few more less elderly folks, I'm sorry to state). The flu shot only works against a few chosen varieties of the flu...the rest can hit your system full force, and there is nothing your body can do except rest and sleep. The flu of 1918, which killed a huge segment of American society...was hopefully a one-time deal and won't repeat itself. We can survive this season without the shot...let's be real about this issue.
Ponce de Leon and the fountain of youth scare brought to you by snake oil salesmen.
This is all so stupid....media frenzy.....anything to blame the President.
Anyone I have talked to haven't worried a bit about it. It's the flu! Flu happens......good grief.
Wait until it's smallpox instead of the flu.......then things will really get interesting.
In fact, as poorly as this flu issue was handled it really makes me wonder how we'll get it done when it's something REALLY serious.
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