Swine flu fears leading to fewer vaccinations

It's something of a paradox: while Americans' fears over swine flu are rising, the number who say they won't get vaccinated remains fairly high, according to a new national poll.

According to the poll conducted by Washington Post-ABC News, 52 percent of Americans said they were "a great deal" or "somewhat" worried that they or someone in their household would catch the virus. This was particularly true for young adults, ages 18 to 29, with 47 percent of that group expressing concern.

Still, more than 60 percent of those polled said they weren't planning to get vaccinated, and only 52 percent of parents said they'd have their children get vaccinated, despite children being a high-risk group. This may be due to residual fears that the vaccine might be dangerous. Only 22 percent of Americans polled said they were "very" confident about its safety.

To learn more about this research:
- read this UPI piece

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