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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, IL ( KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
The debate over whether it's safe to get the H1N1 vaccine took center stage in Fairview Heights Monday night. Hundreds of concerned citizens came out to hear a national group, that questions vaccines in general, share their message: the risks may outweigh the benefits on getting the Swine Fu vaccination or other vaccinations as well. It is a message that is raising concerns for some health departments.
Some five to six hundred people turned out for the event Monday at the Four Points Sheraton. It was organized by a St. Louis based group of chiropractors who are concerned about many kinds of vaccinations, including H1N1. The keynote speaker was Barbara Loe Fisher, the head of the National Vaccine Information Center. That group has been raising questions about the safety of vaccines for years.
Fisher says not enough is known about the H1N1 vaccine to have distributed to the general population.
"This vaccine was fast tracked. It was tested on a couple thousand Americans, healthy adults and children by and large, very few pregnant women, very few children with chronic illness. And yet it's being targeted for pregnant women and children with chronic illness," explained Fisher.
Billie Jean Denny, a Belleville mother of three who attended the seminar, says she is concerned enough that she is not giving the vaccine to her kids.
Denny told us, "Ok so you want me to vaccinate her so that she doesn't get the flu. Well, what are you going to do for her when and if something happens to her from the vaccination? I'm worried, so I just want a little more information."
Officials with several health departments, including the Madison County Health Department in Wood River, disagree with Fisher. They say while nothing is 100 percent risk free, they believe the H1N1 shot is safe.
"Public health is all about prevention and that's what this vaccine is about. It's helping to prevent people from getting h1n1 to begin with. It's certified, it's been tested," said Amy Yeager with the Madison County Health Department.
Yeager says the Madison County Health Department has given out some 8,000 doses in the last few weeks.
Fisher says she is not flat out recommending that people don't get the Swine Flu vaccine. But she is advising that people consult with two health professionals before deciding whether to get the H1N1 vaccination.
Some five to six hundred people turned out for the event Monday at the Four Points Sheraton. It was organized by a St. Louis based group of chiropractors who are concerned about many kinds of vaccinations, including H1N1. The keynote speaker was Barbara Loe Fisher, the head of the National Vaccine Information Center. That group has been raising questions about the safety of vaccines for years.
Fisher says not enough is known about the H1N1 vaccine to have distributed to the general population.
"This vaccine was fast tracked. It was tested on a couple thousand Americans, healthy adults and children by and large, very few pregnant women, very few children with chronic illness. And yet it's being targeted for pregnant women and children with chronic illness," explained Fisher.
Billie Jean Denny, a Belleville mother of three who attended the seminar, says she is concerned enough that she is not giving the vaccine to her kids.
Denny told us, "Ok so you want me to vaccinate her so that she doesn't get the flu. Well, what are you going to do for her when and if something happens to her from the vaccination? I'm worried, so I just want a little more information."
Officials with several health departments, including the Madison County Health Department in Wood River, disagree with Fisher. They say while nothing is 100 percent risk free, they believe the H1N1 shot is safe.
"Public health is all about prevention and that's what this vaccine is about. It's helping to prevent people from getting h1n1 to begin with. It's certified, it's been tested," said Amy Yeager with the Madison County Health Department.
Yeager says the Madison County Health Department has given out some 8,000 doses in the last few weeks.
Fisher says she is not flat out recommending that people don't get the Swine Flu vaccine. But she is advising that people consult with two health professionals before deciding whether to get the H1N1 vaccination.
