HOUSTON (AP) — Medical officials and others are criticizing a Houston city councilman's disparaging remarks about flu vaccinations and his comments that people "don't die from the flu."
The Houston Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/UCMQpC) that during a city council vote earlier this week to consider accepting $3.1 million in federal funding for childhood immunizations, councilman Jack Christie criticized flu vaccines and suggested the media is embellishing "the extreme fear of encouraging flu vaccinations."
The newspaper reports that on Friday, Christie backed down somewhat from his comments, indicating that what he meant to say was that "people should not die from the flu."
Christie says he has never taken a flu shot.
Dr. Joshua Septimus, associate professor of internal medicine at Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, says Christie's comments are irresponsible.
___
Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com
