Turks avoided A/H1N1 flu vaccinations due to the fear of its side effects, according to a recent survey published on local Daily News on Monday.

The Fikri Muhim Agency, a research company, asked its members to answer an online survey about the A/H1N1 flu vaccinations. Out of 8,600 respondents, 95 percent said they had not been vaccinated.

Some 44 percent cited the vaccine's possible negative side effects as a reason to avoid the vaccination, according to the survey.

The survey also showed that women respondents were slightly more willing to get the vaccines, yet 80 percent of them have not had the injection. The average age of the respondents was 31.

Almost one-third of respondents who avoided the vaccinations said medical experts did not have a common opinion on the matter.

The survey found that although experts said the vaccines provide a 90-95 percent protection rate from the virus, 14 percent of respondents disagreed with that opinion.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2010)