Personal choice. No matter how much research there is to support something if a person doesn't want to have the jab it's their choice.

Indeed, it is personal choice, not so for some states in the US. If you are front-line staff, then you are morally obliged to immunise yourself. The vaccine is freely available, and H1N1 is proven to be more virulent than normal seasonal flu and has already killed several people – given these facts and the evidence I've shown you above that vaccination programs such as these are clinically proven to save lives, I fail to see why you wouldn't take the vaccine (unless you have a known allergy)?

No it's not, why should we have to take it?

See above, its not for your good, its for the good of others, probably the reason you joined the healthcare profession in the first place (I'm assuming you are in the healthcare profession)?

I'm still waiting for somebody to give me some good evidence of why you wouldn't take it. I'd also like to know how many of these 'objectors' have taken a vaccine before going on holiday, despite the fact that considerably less of the global population would have received these and hence the risks higher?

If it really is 50/50 over NHS workers taking the jabs, then I hope a large proportion of that 50% aren't front-line staff, otherwise I'm honestly staggered by peoples self-centeredness.

make an informed choice

You've hit the nail on the head there, but I'm not sure why you are asking on a mountain biking forum? How are you planning on making your informed choice:

Tabloid speculation about the safety of vaccines?
Ask a nurse or doctor (who themselves have studied immunology and pharmacology for less than 6 months each unless they are a specialist in immunology or virology)?

Or maybe you should do some research, here I'll help you:

BMJ article highlighting the benefits of vaccinating healthcare workers.

Article discussing the benefits of vaccination.

Same again here.

US Gov website about the myths around flu vaccines.

What exactly is it stopping you getting this vaccine? Surely with your informed opinion you'll have some scientific evidence of deaths/sickness/deformities/mutations/freak alien attacks as a direct result of people taking vaccines in the last 20 years? But then I guess there are only a few hundred million given out each year so thats maybe not a big enough sample size?

Sorry if I'm sounding like an ass, but if one of your close relatives died because somebody couldn't be bothered to take 10mins out of their day and get a simple jab because of some tripe they'd read in the national press then you'd presumably be more than a little p!ssed off.

In my opinion, any health worker who doesn't understand the impact of not having the Swine Flu vaccine should be questioning why they are working in that profession.

Despite too much media hype, Swine Flu is unfortunately very real and very infectious and not like normal seasonal flu, but most importantly it is very dangerous to pregnant mothers and people with respiratory conditions – unsurprisingly these people tend to visit hospitals!

I can speak from experience having contracted the dreaded illness from a visiting friend. I'd consider myself very fit and healthy, I'm 30 and have never been sick for more than a couple of days in my life, I have no underlying health conditions and up until recently I've been playing football twice a week and cycling as well.

The first week of the flu was like a normal flu, but this quickly developed into a chronic lung condition resulting in breathing difficulties, including laryngospasms (2-3 per night for a week). Over 2 months later and I still can't exercise without wanting to throw up due to the bottom of my lungs still being irritated. I consider myself lucky, because I know a lot of people who have asthma who may not have survived it.

If you have been caught up in the media nonsense about the safety of vaccines then I'd suggest you read this article: and see if your conscience can handle the possibility of killing an unborn child and mother because you can't be assed getting a simple jab – and for those who say "I'd rather my own immune system fought it naturally" – maybe try and find out how vaccinations work before talking nonsense?