Poll: 2/3 in U.S. plan to get swine flu vaccine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 90 percent of Americans plan to do something to protect themselves from the H1N1 pandemic flu virus and more than 60 percent will get vaccinated, according to an American Red Cross survey released on Thursday.

Only 11 percent say they are very worried about the new swine flu and another 29 percent are somewhat worried. The rest -- 60 percent -- say they are not worried.

But nearly everyone plans to do something, even if that means using tissues more often or washing hands, the survey of 1,002 adults found.

Caravan Opinion Research Corporation did the telephone survey on behalf of the American Red Cross in July. It has a margin of error of about 3 percent.

The new H1N1 swine flu is spreading globally and has been active across the United States all summer -- something that does not happen with seasonal influenza. Health experts expect it to become even more common once cooler temperatures settle in and students return to class.

Doctors and scientists agree that little can be done to stop the virus, although companies are racing to get vaccines ready for mass immunization. Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said this week the soonest this can start will be mid-October.

Five companies make swine flu vaccine for the U.S. market -- AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit, CSL Ltd, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Novartis AG and Sanofi-Aventis SA.

In the meantime, officials have been urging Americans to protect themselves by keeping their hands clean and doing what they can to avoid spreading the virus -- by covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick.

They have also advised people to prepare to have to stay home for up to two weeks to care for sick children or relatives, or in case the flu worsens and workplaces, schools or meeting places are closed.

Fewer people are ready for this contingency, the survey found. Only 46 percent said they were assembling the food, water and medicine they might need for a two-week quarantine.

And 39 percent of parents said they had heard nothing from their children's schools or daycare centers about precautions. Just 29 percent said they intended to avoid crowds.

"Even though most Americans aren't extremely worried about the virus, they seem interested in taking steps to protect themselves and their families," said Scott Conner, senior vice president of preparedness and health and safety services at the American Red Cross.

(Editing by John O'Callaghan)