JOHNSTOWN - People who attended a Nathan Littauer Hospital-hosted information session on swine flu said they learned a lot more about the swine flu vaccine, which is beginning to arrive in the state.
Hospital officials and Fulton County Public Health Director Denise Frederick spoke at the first of three meetings at the Holiday Inn Tuesday, during which the 28 attendees asked plenty of questions.
Many of the questions centered around the swine flu vaccine, which became available in the state earlier this week. Nassau and Suffolk County Health Departments were the first to receive the nasal spray form of the vaccine on Monday, and 91,000 doses were expected to be delivered to counties outside of New York City by the end of the week.
Larger shipments with injectable vaccine will start arriving next week.
Frederick said she, along with hospital employees throughout the state, must take the vaccine in order to continue doing their health care related jobs-though not all health care officials are required to be vaccinated. She addressed concerns from some who had heard the vaccine was old, ineffective and possibly dangerous, saying a lot of that was misinformation.
"It sort of reminds me of the smallpox vaccine," said attendee the Rev. Earl Johnson, the minister at Johnstown Presbyterian Church. "Everybody said this will kill you, and it's dangerous, but Abraham Lincoln took it."
Hospital officials said some have expressed concerns about high amounts of mercury the vaccine might contain, but said it contains just as much mercury-if not less-as does a can of tuna fish.
"People were under the impression that there might be something wrong [with the vaccine], especially with the question about mercury, and that was dispelled," said the Rev. Carter Adriance, who is a retired minister.
Some interviewed after the meeting said they still were not sure whether they would get vaccinated.
"I thought it was good," Phyllis Johnston said of the presentation. "They're absolutely pro getting the vaccine. But you have to listen and you have to weigh things and just make a decision."
She also said "it was interesting to here that there haven't been any serious side effects from the vaccine," but said she would need to consult with her own doctor before making a decision on the matter. She is also above the age of 65, she said, and is therefore part of an age group that health officials have found to be immune from the disease.
People ages 64 and younger will be vaccinated first, but Frederick said people older than 65 will have permission to be vaccinated if there is enough vaccine left at the end of the season.
Even though the disease has not spread to upstate New York like it has to some parts of the southern United States, health officials said it could make its way here in greater numbers.
"It sort of reinforced some of what I've heard," Johnson said. "I've heard more dire predictions than I've heard today. I mean, I'm talking about health officials right here who have said it was more serious than [officials at the forum] have said, so I don't know now what it is."
Adriance said it was important for public officials to get as much information about the disease as they possibly could.
Littauer spokeswoman Cheryl McGrattan said 24 and 11 people attended the second and third sessions, respectively.
Another forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 and the Perth Primary Care Center on Route 30.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
