Expectant mothers hesitant regarding swine flu vaccine

Monday 24th august 2009 HCFI New Delhi: Both the CDC and the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists are recommending that all pregnant women be vaccinated
against swine flu once it is available after a study in the Lancet medical journal last month
showed that pregnant women are four times more likely to be hospitalized from the disease
than people in general, said Dr KK Aggarwal President Heart Care Foundation of India, BSNL
Dil Ka Darbar, MTNL Perfect Heart Mela and Director IMAAKN Sinha Institute.

As per The Washington Post (8/20, Gowen) pregnant women who are currently on the priority
list for those who ought to receive the new swine flu vaccine are expressing caution about
the idea. They are concerned about the safety of the vaccine to them and to the child.
However, most are concerned about vaccine safety -- worry about whether the new vaccine
will have been tested enough before millions of doses are administered this year.

Poll shows majority of Americans not worried about swine flu. As per a Washington Post-
ABC News poll, only about one in eight Americans is very worried that swine flu will affect
his or her family, with more than twice as many not at all concerned.

In fact, broad majorities have confidence the government and local health providers will be
able to effectively deal with an outbreak.
Nearly three-quarters believing that the government can respond effectively to a swine flu
outbreak in this country; more than eight in 10 say so about their local health agencies.