Will you have the swine flu vaccine?
But despite widespread concern about swine flu, not everyone is convinced that the vaccine is safe after it was revealed earlier this month that the vaccine being used in the UK is not recommended by the World Health Organisation.
We asked gurgle community members for their views on the swine flu vaccine.
Superted, who is 31 weeks pregnant, has decided she will have the vaccine. Here she explains why...
"I fully trust the swine flu vaccine. Any risks that do exist would far outweigh the risks of being pregnant with swine flu and not getting the jab.
I haven't had the vaccine yet but I will as soon as I get the invite from my doctor. My personal opinion is that there has been a lot of hype about swine flu and the vaccine, most of this is overrated.
If you read up on it the fatality rate is similar to that of normal seasonal flu, and the risk factors are similar too. I have Asthma and have the seasonal flu vaccine every year. As far as I am aware the swine flu vaccine has been made using a very similar method so I don't see any new risks.
I haven't really discussed it with my family, but my husband has the same view as me - knowing that a large number of those developing complications from swine flu are pregnant or with asthma, it is sensible for me to get it.
There has been enough information and advice about swine flu if you look in the right places... there has also been a lot of rumour and bad PR.
I would advise women to seek the facts on the NHS website before making judgements on whether to get the jab or not. There is a lot of scaremongering going on - and particularly if the woman has other risk factors other than pregnancy, I think it's important to get the jab."
But not everyone is convinced of the need to get vaccinated. Emma Murphy, aka @notsuchayummum, contacted us via gurgle's Twitter page to explain why she would refuse a swine flu vaccine if she was pregnant, and why she won’t be getting her toddler vaccinated either if it's offered...
"I have a 16 month old son and have taken the decision to refuse a swine flu vaccination if he is offered one. I think there has been too much hysteria and over exaggeration about the swine flu pandemic.
How can the government monitor cases when they’re not actually testing for swine flu anymore? I firmly believe that the majority of cases of so-called swine flu are just cases of proper flu. We’ve got so used to calling a bad cold ‘flu’ that we have forgotten how debilitating real flu actually is and so are now inaccurately calling many cases of it ‘swine flu’.
The government hasn’t seen fit to vaccinate my child or me for proper flu so why should I accept the swine flu vaccination? We’re in good health; we have decent immune systems. I don’t believe it’s necessary to vaccinate the majority of the population with a vaccine that has been rushed through because of hysteria from the media.
We’ll be using sensible actions, such as using washing hands, antibacterial gel and keeping away from people with colds/flu to limit our chances of getting swine flu. As we have no undelying conditions, even if we do get it, plenty of fluids, paracetamol and ibuprofen will be more than sufficient.
Maybe if this was a few years down the line and the vaccination was proven to work and proven to have limited, fairly safe side effects I would reconsider, but until then we’ll take our (well-informed) chances and stock up on honey and lemon."
The information in this feature is intended to demonstrate the contrasting opinions on this subject. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.
To find out more about swine flu read gurgle’s guide here
For the latest information on swine flu and the swine flu vaccine go to the NHS Choices website
You can share your own views on the swine flu vaccine in the comment box below...
Image: alvi2047, some rights reserved
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