Survey Says Latino Parents Most Likely To Get Their Kids Vaccinated For Swine Flu

A new survey finds that many parents have no plans to have their children vaccinated for swine flu - also known as H1N1 or “hiney” flu - as flu season prepares to give us a reach-around. 

The poll, conducted by the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, surveyed a total of 1,678 U.S. parents. The majority of all polled - 54% said they planned on getting their children vaccinated against the regular, run ‘o the mill seasonal flu, but only 40% planned on shooting babies up with the swine flu vaccine. Of those who did not plan to vaccinate their children against swine flu, half said they were not worried about their kids contracting the illness, and 20% said they didn’t think it was really all that dangerous.

The survey also broke down the responses in terms of ethinicity / race:

Latino parents

- 52% definitely/probably would have their children vaccinated
- 25% definitely/probably would not have their children vaccinated
- 23% were not sure what the eff they’d do

White (non-Latino) parents

- 38% definitely/probably would have their children vaccinated
- 30% definitely/probably would not have their children vaccinated
- 32% were not sure what the eff they’d do

Black (non-Latino) parents

- 30% definitely/probably would have their children vaccinated
- 35% definitely/probably would not have their children vaccinated
- 35% were not sure what the eff they’d do

Parents whose children already suffered from something like asthma are more likely to have their kids vaccinated.

The survey doesn’t really explain possible factors behind the ethnic/racial breakdown of the responses, but it probably wouldn’t be too far-fetched to guess, based on media coverage of swine flu, that many view it as a “Latino thing.”

What say you, though? Would you get / have your kids vaccinated for hiney flu this year?

Parents May Underestimate the Risks of H1N1 Flu for Their Children [University of Michigan]