Fears of Autism among reasons why more Parents Refusing Flu Vaccine for their Children...

Recently, a mother I know told me that her doctor has urged her to get the new H1N1 flu shot for her two children, who both have asthma. She already gives her children the regular seasonal flu shot, but for reasons she can’t really explain, she’s nervous about the new flu vaccine.

She’s not alone. Talk shows and Internet sites are abuzz with questions and fears about getting vaccinated against the novel H1N1 virus, often called swine flu. The popular Web site Mercola.com is urging parents not to get the flu vaccine, and even the talk show host Bill Maher posted a warning about the new flu shot to his more than 50,000 followers on Twitter. A University of Michigan poll found that 60 percent of parents surveyed do not plan to vaccinate their children against H1N1.

Now, as the first doses become available, government officials are trying to combat myths and fears about the novel H1N1 flu and the vaccine that can prevent it, Donald G. McNeil Jr. of The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Much of the fear stems from a vaccine debacle more than 30 years ago. In 1976, a swine flu vaccine was associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (pronounced ghee-YAN bah-RAY), in which the body damages its own nerve cells, causing weakness and sometimes paralysis. The reasons are unclear. Some studies found no link. Another study suggested that one person in every one million vaccinated for seasonal flu might be at risk for Guillain-Barré.
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