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Bert Curcio is more afraid of the flu shot than the swine flu itself.
He won't be showing up when health departments, doctors' offices and other clinics begin offering the first vaccinations against the new H1N1 influenza in coming days.
“I don't trust the companies to act that quickly and respond with something safe,” said Curcio, 53, who works for York County, S.C., public works department. “I won't do it, and… I have three grandchildren, and I've told my children not to do it.”
On Monday limited shipments began arriving in some states, including Indiana and Tennessee, where health workers were slated to receive the vaccine. There were no confirmed reports of the vaccine arriving in North Carolina, but officials expect them soon.
As federal health officials prepare to deliver the first shipments of H1N1 flu vaccine to states this week, they're also trying to allay fears among many Americans.
A recent poll by the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center found a majority of U.S. adults say they are either reluctant or unsure about whether they or their children will get vaccinated for the swine flu.
In that poll, 34 percent of Americans said they planned to get the swine flu vaccine, while 21 percent said they wouldn't. Forty-three percent said their decision would depend on how things go.
Half of all parents surveyed said they were worried about the flu, but only 35 percent said they would definitely get their children vaccinated.
Drug manufacturers usually start making seasonal flu vaccine at the start of each year for distribution in the fall. But the H1N1 flu didn't show up in humans until March, so the vaccine has been produced more quickly.
To quell fears, federal officials stress that the same manufacturers and processes were used for swine flu vaccine and that clinical trials this summer turned up no safety problems.
“I have full trust and confidence that this vaccine has been tested and proven to be just as safe as the seasonal flu vaccine,” said Dr. Wynn Mabry, director of the Mecklenburg County Health Department. He said he'll be getting the H1N1 vaccine and recommending it for his children and grandchildren.
“The benefit of being protected outweighs any concerns about the risk of the vaccine.”
Weighing the risks
Swine flu is widespread across the United States, particularly in the South, where schools opened earlier.
Seasonal flu typically doesn't strike until November and December, peaking in January and February.
The good news is that the new swine flu is so far producing mostly mild illness, comparable to the seasonal flu. Deaths are being reported mostly in people who have underlying health problems that put them at high risk for flu complications.
But as we enter the typical flu season and both types of flu circulate, health officials worry that H1N1 virus could mutate and become more virulent. They're recommending that everyone get the vaccine.
Especially at risk – and on the priority list to get swine flu shots early – are pregnant women, children, teens and young adults, and anyone with a chronic medical condition.
Maureen Intemann, 44, a vice president at Bank of America in Charlotte, said she and her children, ages 13, 9 and 8, have already gotten seasonal flu shots and will get the H1N1 shots as soon as they can.
Intemann's older son, Kieran, has Asperger's syndrome, a type of autism. And her younger son, Caeden, has asthma. They're at high risk for flu complications for two reasons – age and health status.
“It's not that I have no concern about it whatsoever,” Intemann said. “There are a lot of unanswered questions around the vaccine. But I also think there are a lot of unanswered questions about the flu itself.”
Hearing about flu deaths in children and adults who had underlying health problems helped make up her mind. “I'd rather take whatever risks are associated with the unknowns of the vaccine,” Intemann said.
Nationally, 60 children have died from H1N1 flu, according to the CDC. North Carolina has reported 12 swine flu deaths, including one child. South Carolina has reported seven deaths from swine flu, including at least three children.
Some say no
Pregnant women are also at the top of the priority list for swine flu shots because health officials say they are more likely than others to get the H1N1 flu and to die from it.
“What we are seeing is quite striking,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Whether this is more common or people are just noticing it because we're attending to this H1N1 virus, it's difficult to say. But I think the obstetric caregivers … have rarely seen this kind of thing in practice.”
Those warnings don't convince Mckenzie Fuller of Charlotte, 26, a supervisor at a local cable TV company who is 71/2 months pregnant. She doesn't plan to get vaccinated against either flu.
“I am normally healthy, and I do get the flu once a year… With the H1N1 virus, this is a test and has not been around long enough to be taken seriously and I will not endanger my health or that of my unborn child.”
Dr. Brian Devine of Lakeside Family Physicians-Highland Creek said most of his patients want to get the H1N1 vaccine. But he said he does get questions from hesitant parents.
Devine said he often waits a year to use a newly approved drug so that any unexpected side effects are detected. But with the swine flu, he said, “The government had to make the call early.”
