The general public largely seems to favor requirements that health care workers receive the vaccination for the swine - or H1N1 - flu virus once the vaccine becomes available, according to a University of Michigan poll released today.

In the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll On Children’s Health, respondents were asked about what strategies for curbing the spread of the H1N1 virus they’d support — from requiring health care workers to get vaccinated to closing schools or businesses.

At least 87 percent of a national sample of adults, which included health care workers, said they agreed or strongly agreed in a vaccination requirement for health care workers.

“By far, this was the strategy the public most strongly supports,” said Matthew Davis, an associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine in the Child Health Evaluation and Research unit at U-M’s medical school.

“As health care workers, we have an obligation to protect the health and safety of our patients," he said.

Health care workers are among those who would receive priority in getting vaccinated, but have traditionally low vaccination rates with the seasonal flu virus.

According to the survey, 38 percent of health care workers plan to get the H1N1 vaccine.

The poll also found health care workers were more likely than other adults to say they planned to not receive the H1N1 flu vaccine because they believed the seasonal flu vaccine would protect them from it and believed they could easily get medication if they did get sick.

“That’s simply not correct. This finding indicates there needs to be more education among health care workers,” Davis said.

The results of the poll are being sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

A previous poll from the research unit found fewer than half of parents planned to vaccinate their children against the H1N1 flu virus.

An AnnArbor.com poll found about 50 percent of responding parents said they planned to have their children vaccinated, while 11 percent said they would have their child vaccinated for the seasonal flu, but not the H1N1 flu. Thirty percent said they would not get their kids vaccinated.

More than five percent said they were unsure in the online, unscientific poll with just more than 100 people responding.

Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.