by Rama Sobhani of the Vincennes Sun Commercial

rsobhani@suncommercial.com

VINCENNES, Ind. — While health care officials nationwide are in agreement that the H1N1 flu vaccine is the best defense against the virus that has caused more than 1,000 deaths in the U.S., 19 of those in Indiana, for various reasons some local residents are avoiding the vaccine like, well, the plague.

“I don’t think the swine flu thing is as big a deal as they¹re making it out to be,” said Charlotte Jacobo, a Vincennes resident who said she won’t be getting the vaccine because of previous seasonal flu vaccinations that made her and other family members ill. “I got a flu shot once and got very sick, and my granddaughter had to be hospitalized last year and the year before,” she said.

“The doctor said it would be better if she didn’t get (the flu shot).”

Fava Hendrixson, Vincennes, agrees and said she would rather err on the side of caution against the vaccine because there is too much about it she does not know.

“Personally, I don’t trust it,” she said. “People I know that have gotten it have gotten really, really, sick. Some of them say they wish they hadn’t taken it.”

Hendrixson said she did get the seasonal flu last year and has never had a seasonal flu shot, but getting ill wasn’t enough to make her want the H1N1 shot.

“If you pay close enough attention and get to the doctor in time, you’ll be fine,” Hendrixson said. “The main thing is to be aware of what your body’s doing.”

The county health department began holding immunization clinics last month when the first H1N1 vaccine shipments came in from the state. But a shortage in the number of promised doses forced officials and administrators to turn away people seeking the vaccine. Because of the limited number of doses, immunizations are being limited to at-risk groups such as young children, pregnant women and the elderly.

“We’re still waiting for the vaccine. It has dribbled out over time and we have not gotten the amount that we were told we would,” said Dr. Tom Thompson, a physician who sits on the Knox County Health Board. Thompson believes the vaccine is safe and that all who are able to get a dose should.

“People want this shot. At first people said, ŒI don’t know,” but now that H1N1 is in our community, they are changing their perspective,” he said. “This appears to be a very safe vaccine. Safety is not the issue, it’s getting the vaccine in the hands of the people who can distribute it. We haven’t gotten (enough) and we’re waiting for it.”

That shortage has also caused at least one local resident to abstain from getting vaccinated. Darren Mains said he would rather the small amount of doses available go to at-risk groups than to him. “Younger children, pregnant mothers, they should get it,” he said. “I’m fairly healthy and not sure if I need it. People in health care, people who deal with children on a daily basis, they need it.”

Used by permission of the Vincennes Sun Commercial - for more click here.