Doctors and minorities still have a dangerous mistrust of vaccines that became painfully clear during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on Monday...Why don't officials ask why most doctors don't get vaccinated? Doctors have more experience treating patients with influenza than members of any other profession. Doctors are the ones who hear their patients report side effects. Doctors therefore have the firsthand knowledge to balance risk and benefit, more so than anyone else, and they "vote with their feet." It's unfortunate that people who are not health professionals, such as Secretary Sebelius, find this painful and dangerous.
In an average year, fewer than 40 percent of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers get flu vaccines.
This blog began in 2007, focusing on anthrax vaccine, and later expanded to other public health and political issues. The blog links to media reports, medical literature, official documents and other materials.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
U.S. doctors, minorities still wary of shots: official (Sibelius)/ Reuters
From Reuters:
I wonder if there is data out there about other health professionals also shying away from the swine flu vaccine? Coming from a family full of RN's I can tell you that we usually do get the annual vaccine (greatly SUGGESTED by employer)...but we balked at the Swine Flu for 1 reason. We thought there needed to be a little bit more work done.
ReplyDeleteJust call me a RN who had bad reaction to 70's swine flu vaccine.