SAN DIEGO -- In an exclusive 10News poll, San Diegans were split on whether they plan to get the swine flu vaccine: 49 percent said they would get it, while 42 percent said they would not.

Although swine flu testing is well under way and communities are gearing up for a major vaccination campaign, many people are still on the fence about getting immunized.

"At this point, I don’t know. My immediate inclination would be that I would probably not run out for the swine flu - I don’t see it as a huge threat," said county resident Kevin Silberman.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Mark Sawyer of Rady Children’s Hospital and University of California at San Diego explained that while swine flu is not life-threatening for most people, it’s the vast number of people who can get it that makes it so dangerous.

"That’s when we see more people in the hospital; we even see deaths from H1N1 because so many people are getting it," he said.

Some tell 10News that they worry about the vaccine’s safety.

"I’ve heard about past swine flu vaccinations that have turned out that there’s certain things like paralysis that could happen from it," said Liz Hoffmann.

When San Diegans were asked why they are not planning to get the swine flu vaccine, 36 percent said they don’t believe it’s safe.

"I know people are concerned that it’s been rushed or it’s experimental - it’s really not," said Dr. Sawyer.

Sawyer knows much more than most about the swine flu vaccine -- he’s a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine recommendations.

"My expectation is this vaccine is going to be exactly as safe as regular influenza vaccines," said Sawyer.

A big deciding factor for everyone will be what happens this fall.

"Maybe if the death rate or the seriousness of the swine flu became a concern," said county resident Robin Sirota.

10News looked at how swine flu deaths compare to regular flu fatalities in San Diego County. In fiscal year 2005, 14 people died from regular flu. In 2006, four people died. In 2007, nine died. In 2008, there were two deaths. And so far this year, no deaths from regular flu, but 21 people have died due to swine flu.

Dr. Sawyer explained that both regular and swine flu can be fatal, but because there are so many more cases of this new swine flu, we will inevitably see more people dying from it.

Swine flu vaccinations are anticipated to start in October. Experts say it’s likely that people will need two doses spaced apart by a few weeks. The vaccine will not be mandatory.