Assume your chance to contract swine flu is in the upper bound stated in the article, 35%. Multiply that by the pneumonia chance of one in a thousand, .1%. Finally, multiply again by chance of death from pneumonia (20%) and you get a minuscule .007% chance of swine flu death, or seven people out of a hundred thousand.
That's how a nerd decides not to get the swine flu vaccine.
Odds of getting the flu, feeling like absolute crap for a week, losing a week of work, being shunned by everyone I know for two or three weeks because I'm a carrier of the swine flu, but accidentally giving some of my acquaintances the flu anyway, thus prolonging the epidemic: 35%.
Okay, stop. I'm going to the pharmacy for my vaccine right now. [1]
My only fear is that I'm already too late. I'm not feeling so well today.
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[1] Not that I think it's in stock yet, or anything. But maybe I'll call them.
The few people I know that have had H1N1 reported that they actually felt like crap for more like a month, The initial 'flu symptoms' passed after a week, but they were left feeling weak and 'drained' for another 3-4 weeks beyond that.
Personally, I'm tempted to get the shot, and I've never bothered with flu shots in the past out of fear of the side effects (I have a barely functioning immune system).
That is why you should ask your doctor if you should get the vaccine. Immunosuppressed are on the high risk list and are encouraged to get the vaccine.
1. consistent supply regardless of demand. when the killer bug does hit and suddenly everyone wants the flu vaccine there won't be enough supply because the manufacturers and distributers have never dealt at that scale before.
practically, this seems wasteful in times like these when we don't need a huge supply....but compared to some other things we spend taxes and the profits of certain involved actually increasing...it's actually not that killer expensive, and in fact would be good for the economy.
2. some people can't get vaccines. one reason is if they have a complicating disease or are susceptible to side-effects or are traveling from a country that failed on the supply issue. it is for these people that everyone else should get the vaccine.
Also, those figures are based on one year. If you don't get vaccinated and don't contract H1N1 this year, what are the chances that you will get it in the future? My figuring leads me to believe getting the shot is the rational choice.
I asked a nurse earlier if they had given shots to all the people who were in high risk groups already (didn't want to deprive anyone) and she said "yes last week, but you taking a shot is protection for them too". Easy choice for me.
But, I'm in a country where you don't even get the choice anyway (UK). You get the vaccine when the NHS says you do - and regular healthy people aren't allowed it yet.