BACCN Swine Flu Opinion Poll Results
A Swine Flu opinion poll was designed and located on the front page of the BACCN web site. It was available for a 2 month period from 24th November 2009 until 25th January 2010. A total of 293 responses were logged. The BACCN web site is aimed at critical care nurses so it is highly likely to have been completed by this group however there was a chance the poll could have been completed by other health care professionals or the lay public.
Number of responses to each question
| Swine Flu Question | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Have you been offered the swine flu vaccine in your capacity as a health professional? | 288 | |
| 2. If yes, have you been vaccinated against swine flu? | 190 | |
| 3. If you were offered the vaccine but chose not to have it, why not? | ||
| a. You were unavailable or busy when it was being administered | 21 | |
| b. Concerns over the safety of the H5N1 vaccine | 57 | |
| c. Concerns over the safety of vaccines in general | 7 | |
| d. Concerned about side effects | 38 | |
| e. Did not think it necessary due to mildness of disease | 25 | |
A number of other reasons where provided to explain why swine flu vaccine was not chosen:
- Pregnancy & unborn child side effects concerns
- Already had Swine Flu
- Insufficient information available about vaccine and long term effects
- Fit & healthy so not concerned
- Seen others who had vaccine become ill
- Recently had other vaccines so couldn’t have it
Annette Richardson
BACCN Membership, publicity & Web
