UK Doctors and Nurses Refuse To Take New Swine Flu Vaccine

More than half of doctors and a third of nurses in the UK say they would not take the new swine flu vaccine when it becomes available this autumn.

They are concerned that the vaccine may not be safe, as it will not have been thoroughly tested, and it may not work. They also feel that swine flu is a more benign virus than early reports suggested.

A survey of 216 family doctors has discovered that nearly 60 per cent would refuse to have the vaccine – even though they are considered ‘front line’ workers who should be protected – and a third of 1,500 nurses polled also said they would not want to be vaccinated.

The public also has its reservations, a study in a Canadian journal has found. It would take a big PR campaign to convince them to have the vaccine, researchers found.

(Source: The Guardian, 25 August 2009).