Inside Story is an online source of in depth journalism looking at politics and policy in Australian and the world. They have just published a commentary by Melissa Sweet on the continuing debate about swine flu and its implications for public health campaigns. Swine Flu, Vaccination and Other Matters of Trust asks who do you trust when it comes to advice about whether you or members of your family should be vaccinated against swine flu? Is it your GP, your neighbour, the professor on the television or the government’s advertising campaign? WHO has been forced to defend its response to the swine flu pandemic, with accusations ranging from its too strict an adherence to pandemic policy, to conspiracy with drug companies.
Sweet refers to a recent article in JAMA which details examples from across the globe in which trust in the safety of vaccines has been dented, often to the detriment of public health: "Public Health Response to Influenza A(H1N1) as an Opportunity to Build Public Trust" by Larson and Heymann, JAMA. 2010;303(3):271-272. The article may be accessed through CIAP, or contact your hospital library.
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