Most parents will not allow their children to be given the swine flu vaccination because they fear the drug may have potentially lethal side effects. Mohra Al-Amri, an elementary school teacher, said only four out of 30 children in her class will be vaccinated because their parents are worried about the vaccine's side effects. “Parents have the right to do so. I have four daughters and I will not let them take the vaccine because of the dangerous diseases we were warned about. I watched a television program that warned people about giving this vaccine to their children. They said it can cause future cancer and [paralysis].” Another elementary school teacher, Fatima Ahmed, said that no child in her class is going to have the vaccination because their parents are also concerned. “I have 26 students and none of them will take the vaccine,” she said. “I have two daughters and I will also not let them take the vaccine because in my opinion there hasn't been enough time to study the side effects of this vaccine, especially the effect on children.” Mansoor Al- Harbi, a father of three boys aged between five and 11, will also not allow his sons to be vaccinated. He said he based his decision on the advice of his son's teachers and his relatives. “All my relatives have refused to allow their children to be vaccinated; and teachers have also advised their students not to take the vaccine.” However, some parents will allow their children to be given the vaccine. Manal Ahmed, a mother of two boys aged eight and 10, believes that the Ministry of Health (MOH) would not recommend anything bad for her children. She is also worried about her children getting swine flu. “I want to protect my children from this killer flu,” she said. Khadeeja Mokhtar, Director of 165 Elementary School in Jeddah, said parents who have refused to allow their children to be vaccinated, have based their decision on “silly clips” they have watched on the Internet. Unfortunately, I only have two out of 10 consent forms signed by parents, allowing their children to get the vaccine. This is a very low percentage. And this is despite us holding meetings with the mothers of the students last week, where we explained the importance of taking the vaccine.” Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has again tried to allay fears over the safety of the vaccine. “The Ministry of Health has approved this vaccine and has confirmed that there are no negative effects. No scientific authority has criticized this vaccine,” said Dr. Khaled Marghalani, spokesman at the Ministry of Health. Marghalani said the vaccine caused simple side effects which disappeared after a short period. This includes fever, headache, nausea, and pain at the point of the injection. He said that the campaign is supported by government leaders and top officials, and that this should be enough to convince people of the vaccine's safety. “Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz and Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier and Ministry of Interior, ordered the Emirs of each region to launch the vaccination campaign on Sunday,” he said.
