| Mass Rejection Of Swine Flu Vaccine
Continues Throughout Europe
The mass rejection
of the H1N1 flu shot continues in Europe, prompted by fears over
the vaccine's safety, with extremely low percentages of people
saying they intend to take it.
In France, a poll published in the Dimanche Ouest-France newspaper
and reported on by the country's biggest newspaper Le
Monde, reveals that just 17% of the population now intend
to get vaccinated.
A rough translation of the article reads:
According to a poll published Sunday in West-France, only 17%
of the French will consider getting vaccinated against influenza
H1N1. In Mid-September, 55% of respondents said they would get
vaccinated. Nearly one in two surveyed is clearly opposed to the
vaccine.
The evolution of these figures can be explained by the reduction
of anxiety felt over the virus. A month ago, 32% of respondents
said they were "worried", that figure has dropped to
16%.
The figures come in the wake of efforts on behalf of nine individuals
who have filed
formal charges in the French courts claiming that the H1N1
mass vaccination campaign is a deliberate attempt to poison the
French population.
The drop in numbers willing to take the vaccine mirrors that
in Germany where
just 13% now say they are willing to take the shot, down from
51% in July.
Meanwhile, state
media in Austria reports that yesterday, on the first day
the H1N1 vaccine became available, less than ten people attended
vaccine centers in the country's fourth largest city, Salzburg.
"The organisational situation is the same as if you invite
people to a party and you don't know whether to make three or
5,000 sandwiches." Norbert Muss, the head doctor of the regional
health insurance association commented.
The
Flu Case website reports that a poll to be published later
this week in Luxembourg indicates that 77% of the country has
no intention of getting the vaccine, while 15 % are undecided.
In addition, the site suggests that radio
reports out of Poland have revealed only 3% of the population
of Kraków, one of the countries largest cities, plan on
taking the vaccination.
Mass rejection of the vaccine has
been reported throughout Europe, with large portions of Danes,
Finns, Spanish, Belgians and Dutch and British people also saying
they do not intend to take the shot.
The number of refusniks is set to increase following reports
late last week of severe
side effects and even deaths in Sweden and Bulgaria that may
have been linked with the vaccine.
Significant refusal of the vaccine is also rife among populations
of the U.S.,
Canada
and China.
* A
full list of h1n1 vaccine ingredients, alerts and warnings.
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