KCHD Scientific Poll Gauges Those Who Plan to Get H1N1 Vaccine

Communications Director

Kristin Farley
[email protected]
(865) 215-2589

400 Main St., Room 691
Knoxville, TN 37902

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KCHD Scientific Poll Gauges Those Who Plan to Get H1N1 Vaccine

Posted: 10/13/2009
Nearly 50 percent of adult Knox County resident adults plan to get the H1N1 flu vaccine, according to a survey conducted by the University of Tennessee Center for Applied Research and Evaluation for the Knox County Health Department. The scientific telephone poll was taken by a representative sample of residents from across the county. 
 
"This information will help Knox County Health Department and our health care partners in the community gauge demand for vaccine and be more fully prepared to get immunizations to anyone who wants it," said Mark Jones, Knox County Health Department director.

Survey responses indicated that 49.7 percent of Knox County adults would get the H1N1 vaccine, 28.1 percent would not get immunized and 22.2 percent are undecided. More than 46 percent of parents surveyed plan to get their children vaccinated against H1N1 flu. According to the 2008 (most recent) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFFS), approximately 46.3 percent of adults age18 and older have had a seasonal flu shot this past year, and 76.3 percent of those 65 and older reported getting a seasonal flu shot this past year.
 
"Plenty of misinformation and rumors are floating around about the vaccine, so it's heartening to know that most people have the facts," said Dr. Martha Buchanan, KCHD medical director. "The vaccine is very pure and safe."
 
KCHD has received a small supply of H1N1 intranasal mist, which is FDA approved for healthy, non-pregnant people between the ages of 2 and 49 years old. There have been no deliveries of H1N1 injectable vaccine (flu shot) to date, but health officials expect it at any time. Plenty of H1N1 vaccine should become available (The federal government ordered 190 million doses, and there have never been more than 100 million doses given nationwide in any given year) at regular outlets such as health departments, health care clinics, pharmacies, etc. As vaccine continues to arrive in the area, providers will be able to quickly move away from only offering vaccine to priority groups and make it available to the general public. 
 
"The majority of respondents were interested in getting vaccinated at a weekend clinic," said Dr. Kathy Brown, head epidemiologist for KCHD. "Now we can make plans as vaccine starts to arrive and we won't have to rely on trial and error to get immunizations out to the public." 
 
More flu information is available at www.flu.gov or by calling 211 or the Tennessee Department of Health Flu Information Line at 1-877-252-3432.