H1N1 ( Sw in e F lu)

Preparednes s
July 2009 Po ll
Telephone survey of 1,002 U.S. Adults 18 years and older on July 17-20, 2009
conducted by CARAVAN® Opinion Research Corporation. Margin of error is
+/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

Report Date: August 6, 2009

Communication and Marketing Department

Research & Public Inquiry
 Key Findings
• While only one in ten Americans (11%) is very worried
about swine flu, Americans are showing a strong interest in
taking protective actions, with most interest focused
appropriately on hand washing and covering coughs and
sneezes.
• Nearly two thirds of Americans (62%) plan on getting a flu
shot for this new flu if one was offered.
• Less than half of Americans (46%) are planning on
assembling the food, water and medicine they might need
for a two-week quarantine.
• While many schools and daycares are communicating with
parents about flu precautions, more than a third of parents
(39%) have received no such information from their
children’s school or daycare.
• One in twenty (6%) Americans personally knows someone
who has had this new flu. Higher-income Americans were
the most likely to know someone who’s had swine flu
(13%).
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 One in ten Americans is very worried about this
new flu.
African Americans, low-income Americans and those with children are most likely to be
Most worried are African Americans
very worried. (25% very worried), Americans
Very Worried, earning under $35,000 a year (17%
very worried) and those with children
11% in the household (15% very worried).
Not Worried At
Americans with a college degree or
All, 28% more are least likely to be very
worried (4%)

Somewhat
Worried, 29%

Not Too Worried,

32%

The next series of questions are about the flu. Since last spring, there have been news stories about the
outbreak of a new flu in different parts of the world. This flu is sometimes called swine flu or H1N1 [H-One-N-
One] flu. How worried are you that you or someone in your family will be exposed to this infection? Are you. .
. very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried, or not worried at all?
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 There is strong public interest in flu precautions.
Comparing reported behavior in May with intentions in July, more Americans are taking
an interest in protecting themselves and others from this new flu.
Make an extra effort to cover coughs and sneezes w ith a
tissue 78%
Start w ashing your hands m ore carefully and m ore often 76%
Make an extra effort to clean surfaces at hom e or at w ork
w ith disinfectant 64%
Get a flu shot for this new flu if one is available 62%
Use hand sanitizer m ore often 62%
Make an extra effort to avoid touching your eyes, nose and
m outh 56%
Look for m ore info about how to reduce the risk of getting
the flu 49%
Give som eone else advice about how to reduce the risk of 93% are taking or
getting the flu 46% planning on taking at least
one action.
Make sure you had enough food, w ater and m edicine so you
could stay hom e for up to tw o w eeks if necessary 46%
Avoid going places w here there m ight be a lot of people 29%
Wear a face m ask out in public 8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Which of the following actions are you taking or planning on taking to protect yourself and
others from this new flu?
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 Women have more interest in flu precautions
than men
• Women are more likely to be
planning on taking these protective
actions:
– Covering their coughs and sneezes
(84%)
– Washing hands (81%)
– Cleaning surfaces at home and work
(70%)
– Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth
(65%)
• Seniors (65 and over) were most
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 Two-thirds (62%) plan to get a flu shot if one is
available

• Most interested in getting a shot for

this new flu are:
– Americans with less than a high school
education (82%)
– African Americans (72%)
– Americans 65 and over (71%)
– Americans with incomes below $35,000
(70%)
– Residents of the South (69%)

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 391 of t hes e respondents had a child in daycare,
preschool, school or l iving in a college dor mitory
One in three (39%) had not received any information about flu precautions from
all their children’s schools or daycares.
Don't Know, 2% At 54%, women were more likely
than men to report that they had
received information about flu
precautions from all of their
children’s schools or daycares.

No, 39%
Yes, from
all, 44%

Yes, from
at least
one, 16%
Have you received any information from the school or daycare about precautions they are
taking to prevent the spread of flu? Would you say. . .
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 One in twenty Americans (6%) personally know
someone who has had H1N1 or swine flu
• More common among people with
incomes of $100,000 (13%).
• Less common in the South (3%)

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 Contact Information

• Poll Findings
Sharron Silva at (202) 303-4424
silvas@usa.redcross.org
Tanya Mitchell at (202) 303-8727
mitchelt@usa.redcross.org