Poll Finds Most Serbs Unwilling to Vaccinate

Belgrade, Dec.5th, 2009 (Serbia Today) – The recent release of results from the a TNS Medium Gallup poll conducted in November showed that most residents of Serbia would not even consider taking the recently imported H1N1 influenza vaccine.
Leading member of the Serbian government’s influenza work group, epidemiologist Branislav Tiodorovic, attempted to play down the results of the poll by pointing out that the mood in Serbia at this point is similar to that in most other European countries, but that in Norway, "initially only 10 to 15 percent of the population planned to get vaccinated".
“However, when serious cases and fatal outcomes started to occur the percentage suddenly increased. If 30% of the citizens stated that they would be vaccinated, that means about two million. We would consider vaccinating 1,500,000 a success. If they were chronic patients and children the result would be far better than anyone expected,” said he.
Over half of the population did not plan to receive the vaccine against swine flu, 29 percent said they would be inoculated, and 19 percent were indecisive, according to Serbian news service B92.
Todorovic added that the results of a survey that showed about 29 percent of the population were ready to be vaccinated were "as expected".
The H1N1 influenza is still considered an epidemic and the prognosis for the situation in Serbia is still a cause for concern.
“We could say that the next epidemic wave is slowly starting to gain momentum. There shouldn't be any significant difference regarding the number of the cases compared to the previous wave. This is just the introduction to the main wave,” Tiodorovic stated.
According to him, the manufacturer of the swine flu vaccine would be responsible for any side effects, "if it failed to warn about them".
“The state is responsible too, and obligated to create certain conditions and provide a tested, registered and high quality vaccine," he told daily Danas.
Serbia has so far reported 394 confirmed swine flu cases, with 22 fatal outcomes.
The country bought the vaccines from Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, and the inoculation, which will be voluntary, is set to start in mid December.