On the eve of the biggest immunization program in Canadian history, a new poll suggests roughly half of Canadians do not want the H1N1 swine flu vaccine.

According to a Strategic Counsel poll taken for CTV News and The Globe and Mail, 51 per cent of Canadians do not plan on getting vaccinated.

However, 67 per cent of those polled say they believe the vaccine is safe for adults and 59 per cent said the vaccine is safe for children.

The poll, which questioned 1,000 Canadians between Oct. 22-24, suggests most of the country is not overly worried about the H1N1 flu, even if people are taking precautions.

While 63 per cent of respondents say they have taken precautions against the H1N1 swine flu, 67 per cent of respondents say they are only a little worried or not worried at all about catching the flu.

Canadians aren't quite willing to give the government a passing grade on its efforts to prevent and prepare for the H1N1 virus.

Only 46 per cent of those polled said the federal government is doing a good job in its preparation. Provincial governments fared slightly better at 47 per cent. Municipal governments lagged far behind, with only 34 per cent of Canadians willing to say they are doing a good job.

That said, 80 per cent of Canadians polled said health officials are taking the proper precautions for the flu and 77 per cent of respondents said their country is doing a better job than most other countries in prepping for the H1N1 swine flu.

Those polled were not too enthused with the media's take, with 78 per cent saying news outlets have hyped up or exaggerated the threat of the virus.

Taking precautions

Some 63 per cent of respondents said they were taking precautions against the virus.

Of those who are taking precautions:

• 97 per cent are washing their hands more
• 32 per cent are avoiding crowded places
• 35 per cent are avoiding shaking hands
• 19 per cent are visiting retail stores less often
• 11 per cent are avoiding airplane flights

Of those polled, 85 per cent said they do not know anyone who has contracted the H1N1 virus.

Technical notes:

• The Strategic Counsel is pleased to present findings of a national online survey of 1,000 Canadians
• Respondents completed web-based questionnaires between Thursday October 22nd and Saturday October 24th, 2009.
• As respondents for this poll were selected from among those who have agreed to be invited to participate in online surveys, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.