Q. Polls show a majority of Americans are concerned about the H1N1 virus (swine flu), but also about the safety and efficacy of the swine flu vaccine. Is it ethical to say no to this or any vaccine? Are there valid religious reasons to accept or decline a vaccine? Will you get a swine flu shot? Will your children?
Concerns about whether or not to get the swine flu vaccine all come down to a matter of trust. Do you believe the government when “they” say that the swine flu is deadly? When “they” brand it a pandemic? When “they” say that the vaccine is safe? Or are you waiting for proof that you can see for yourself – to physically witness the serious illness of an acquaintance, a friend, a loved one. Or maybe even to feel it in your own body when you yourself catch the virus. Without visible proof it seems quite rational to doubt that all the hoopla is necessary. But unfortunately in this case, waiting for that type of proof risks putting you and others in life-threatening danger. It is selfish, irresponsible and unethical.
Skepticism about the severity of the H1N1 flu is a key contributor to the public’s ambivalence about getting the vaccine. Health experts readily admit that for most, the illness does not present a serious threat. However some become so ill that they need to be treated in intensive care – in fact that is the fate of one in four Americans who were hospitalized with swine flu. And then there are those that die. Children seem to be at particular risk of dying. The new H1N1 virus caused the death of 19 children and teenagers last week alone, pushing the number of fatalities in 2009 to 76. Seasonal flu typically claims the lives of 46-88 children per year so we’re running way ahead of schedule given that we’re just at the beginning of this flu season. Pregnant women and those inflicted with other health problems, e.g. diabetes, asthma, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, etc. are also among those who are more likely to suffer serious consequences from catching this virus. Truly it is the most vulnerable in our population who need to be protected the most –both by receiving the vaccination directly and by those of us who are more fortunate taking the appropriate precautions to avoid transmitting the virus to them. Our moral responsibility is to care for them by doing what we can to prevent infecting them. There are also concerns about the safety of the vaccine, but experts tell us that these fears are unfounded and point to statistics that show this is much safer than the last swine flu vaccine and on par with the seasonal flu vaccine in terms of potential side effects.
But for about 60% of Americans, this proof of the potentially deadly effects of H1N1 just doesn’t seem to be enough to convince them to get the vaccination. These statistics are reported in the media, which is generally perceived as a reliable source, but in this case it just isn’t enough. Similar to the reports of the sighting of a risen Jesus that Thomas received from his good friends, the other disciples, the fact that the proof is being provided by a normally trustworthy source sometimes just isn’t enough for everyone. In the case of Thomas this makes some sense. It takes a huge leap of faith to believe that someone who was clearly dead is now clearly alive again. So one can’t blame Thomas for demanding physical proof before believing this seemingly outrageous tale. But believing that the swine flu can kill you simply isn’t that outrageous, especially when it has already become accepted knowledge that the seasonal flu can kill you. So what else might be behind the current unhealthy skepticism of the H1N1 vaccine?
I suspect that the skepticism about the vaccine is rooted in skepticism about the government’s enthusiasm for trying to get as many American’s vaccinated as humanly possible. This has been portrayed as the government’s vaccination plan. Not only is the government racing to get the vaccine ready and shipped out to a location near you, they are also subsidizing the cost of immunization. It is a voluntary program but via the public service announcements, the media appearances by members of the CDC and the federal governments pledge to buy enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone in the country if there is sufficient demand, it is hard not to feel coerced. It can start to feel a lot like we’re standing at the top of the slippery slope of socialized medicine, and given the current debate over healthcare reform that image evokes concerns that are much scarier to some than getting a bad case of the flu. One may begin to doubt that all this hoopla is about the H1N1 virus but rather it could be a leading edge example of increasing government involvement in private healthcare.
Whether that hypothesis is true or not, the unfortunate reality is that when it comes to dealing with at highly contagious and potentially lethal virus, doubting can become deadly. For you and for others that you come into contact with. Everyone in my family will get the vaccine, i.e. me, my husband, and my three children. For our protection and for the protection of those we knowingly interact with and unknowingly come into contact with. Because it is the right moral choice for the common good.
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