Published: October 12, 2009 07:48 am      

Vaccinate for good of public

It's no secret that a full-force re-emergence of swine flu is expected this fall. The initial outbreak was serious enough for the World Health Organization to label it a pandemic, and this flu season is predicted to bring more cases and deaths.

An Aug. 28 MSNBC.com article by health writer JoNel Aleccia pointed out that "though most cases are expected to be mild, a White House scientific advisory panel report released this week estimated that between 30,000 and 90,000 people, mostly children and young adults, could die as a result of the new virus."

The fact that there don't seem to be any absolutes about how bad the next few months will be is frightening. And while a vaccine is in the process of being distributed, that has raised another type of fear.

Many are uncomfortable with the pressure being put on them to get the shot, and not just because of a phobia of needles. Among these individuals are health care workers, who in New York are required to get vaccinated. More than 100 people attended a rally at the Capitol in Albany on Sept. 29 to protest the mandate.

We understand where these reservations are coming from. The idea of the government ordering an individual to put something into his or her body is unsettling. It's also to be expected that medicine this new would raise concerns about safety; the vaccine hasn't been around long enough for anybody to be able to claim that there aren't eventual side effects.

We, however, believe that it has been adequately tested and that this concern pales in comparison to the benefits that the vaccine provides, particularly where these workers are concerned, as they are most at risk to spread the disease to others.

In the article, Dr. William Schaffner, professor and chairman of the infectious diseases division at Vanderbilt University, indicated that "employees exposed constantly to sick people are prime targets for infection, and they easily can spread the virus before they become ill _ and even when they don't have symptoms themselves." This is particularly sobering considering that those with pre-existing conditions have been more likely to die from the disease; we shudder to think of the damage that an unvaccinated health care worker could unintentionally do. We believe that these workers should be vaccinated. For those who feel uncomfortable about getting vaccinated, we encourage them to weigh their options, look at the facts and make the choice that's right for them and their patients.