Posted by H1N1 Update: CDC Offers Reassurance on Vaccine Safety and Availability
The CDC Director Thomas Frieden addressed “three major concerns that people have” — that 2009 H1N1 is “just a mild illness”; that the vaccine may not be safe; and that it’s already too late to be vaccinated.</spanDr. Frieden countered with a reminder that 2009 H1N1 has killed many people and will likely kill more. Regarding safety, he said that the vaccine is made in the same way and in the same facilities as seasonal vaccines, which have an excellent safety record. And as to the futility of vaccination, he said, we “don’t know what the rest of this long flu season is going to hold. We haven’t had a flu season like this in at least 50 years.”
He added: “We’re very confident that there will be plenty of vaccine for everyone who wants to be vaccinated. It won’t be available when everyone wants to be vaccinated.”
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Caravaggio Note: Does this adequately cover the spectrum of concerns represented by readers/participants of this blog? I was surprised that he summarily quantified the concerns as he did.