Well, since this is in the Campfire, I'll be more loose in my comments. H1N1 and particularly the topic of a vaccine has create a lot of controversy in certain circles. There are lots of different groups who oppose the H1N1 vaccine.

You've got what are often labelled the "antivax" folks who typically oppose childhood immunizations on various medical grounds, like fear of autism, although there is no credible evidence to support a link. These folks are often fans of Dr Sears, who is doing a lot to harm the health of children, not save it, IMO.

There are other antivax folks who think that vaccines just weaken the immune system in general, or in more extreme cases, are actually highly poisonous. The topic of immune system-boosting chemicals, like squalene, are the topic of much debate within these circles. Typically, these same folks usually push alternative health products (often to their own profit) which are supposed to boost your immune system. I know Dr. Mercola is popular but I lump him in this camp. Many of his articles, although referenced, do not reflect good reasoning representative of the scientific literature. Plus, he pushes his own products all the time so his credibility level with me is usually at the "huckster" level.

Many folks fear a repeat of the 1976 swine flu vaccine and cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (a link that research does not consistently support). But the H1N1 vaccine is totally different from that vaccine. It's not like they took the '76 vaccine out of the freezer, thawed it out, tinkered with it a bit, and are ready to start injecting it into people now. The H1N1 vaccine is basically just like the regular seasonal flu shot in terms of how it was designed and produced.

There are some who think the H1N1 vaccine is just another way that Big Pharma is making a huge profit at the government's (really, OUR) expense. Actually, they claim that Big Pharma bioengineered the virus, released it to create the pandemic, and are now profiting from selling the vaccine.

There's a libertarian wing that points to language in various laws which they say proves that the government is planning on forced, mass vaccinations, and those that refuse will be thrown in jail or at least fined thousands of dollars and the rest of their lives ruined. These folks seem to be same ones that go to town hall meetings and scream, "Stay out of my health care, you socialists!!!"

Then there's a whole set of tinfoil conspiracy theories out there about sinister plans to do things like: inject microscopic nano-tags in everyone through forced vaccinations so that the government can track us, massive global depopulation (i.e. killing us) through tainted vaccines, etc. Oh, I love this one--in early summer, when obesity seemed to be a risk factor for serious cases, there was serious talk about how H1N1 was a tool that health insurance companies created to kill the people who cost them the most money (i.e. the obese) before health care reform kicked in and reduced their profits. Crazy stuff.

What concerns me is a series of news reports I have read over the past few months on various surveys done in the UK, Hong Kong, and here in the US, where a very large percentage of healthcare workers say will skip the H1N1 shot. Maybe it's just the reporter cherry picking the most inane reasons, but these professionals are saying things like, "Well, I got a flu shot ten years ago and still got sick" or "I didn't get the shot last year and didn't get sick". Huh? That's the most un-scientific reasoning! And you guys are health professionals? Funny, I don't hear any big backlash against these same professionals getting their other mandatory immunizations, like for hepatitis or tetanus.