Swine flu vaccine passes safety test

Boston Globe, October 9, 2009

While the H1N1 virus that causes swine flu is new, the vaccine brewed to stop it follows the same tried-and-true laboratory and production methods used to churn out millions of doses each year against the seasonal strain. And, so far, clinical trials of the vaccine have not turned up any side effects more worrisome than the mild variety associated with annual flu immunizations. But that message is not reaching everyone, as evidenced by chatter in the blogosphere and a series of recent polls exposing significant pockets of ambivalence about the vaccine.