The Israel Doctors Association suggests that the general public be given the H1N1 swine flu vaccine as soon as it is available for them, the group said Wednesday. The Association made the statement at a gathering of health experts Wednesday discussing methods to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Although the vaccine has been known to cause side effects, all the experts at the meeting said that the benefits of taking the vaccine far outweighed the risks of the side effects.
The Association said that so far, the vaccine has proven to be very effective. Some 65 million people around the world have been inoculated, and the effects of the vaccine seems to be similar to the effects of vaccines for other strains of flu. Currently in Israel, the vaccine is being distributed only to those in high risk groups, but over the next several months, as new shipments of vaccines arrive, it will be available to the general public.