Vaccine question

[teaandtoastwithmarmite]

Something I've been wondering about. Why is the flu vaccine something you have to pay for if not in the eligible criteria but the Covid vaccine not?

Because covid is killing more people than flu as its a novel virus we haven't met before

The covid vaccine has a public health benefit as well a personal one.

Ok just thinking as I know quite a few people who have had Covid, myself included and had the vaccine. Just wondering really. I've had flu as well and was pretty ill.

It's likely that eventually it will be same. For now the situation is different.

Remember that Covid is not only new. It's also possibly human modified in a lab.

A lot of the big employers pay for their staff to have the flu vaccine though. Like you say, flu can make people - even the otherwise healthy - pretty ill, and companies are keen to avoid loads of staff being off sick (sometimes for several weeks, or even longer).

The vaccine doesn't completely stop people getting covid, it reduces transmission and severity of illness.

You getting flu doesn't affect anybody else. You getting covid and not being vaccinated would affect many more people, and that in turn puts massive pressure on the NHS.

Cos COVID is breaking the NHS, killing more/younger people, and the alternatives to keep it in check eg lockdown, are breaking the economy.

I suspect the flu jab will become free though, if it would make a difference to pressure on NHS, so it’s a good question

Both vaccines reduce transmission. It's just a judgement that the Covid epidemic places such a risk to the NHS that the benefits of vaccinating everybody outweigh the costs. The benefits of giving the flu vaccine to healthy thirty-something adults are not thought to outweigh the costs to the NHS.

It's similar to the NHS's position on free contraception - they think it saves more than it costs.

I am eligable for free flu vaccine but all staff are offered it for free

@Luredbyapomegranate

Cos COVID is breaking the NHS, killing more/younger people, and the alternatives to keep it in check eg lockdown, are breaking the economy.

I suspect the flu jab will become free though, if it would make a difference to pressure on NHS, so it’s a good question

Thank you.

Thanks all I think I'm just weighing up this booster jab

Because we are in a PANDEMIC, that means covid is affecting the whole world at the same time. The flu virus is not.

@questionsneverstop

Because we are in a PANDEMIC, that means covid is affecting the whole world at the same time. The flu virus is not.

Yes but we've had our two vaccines (most of us). Personally I went back to the office and within a space of a couple of weeks two of us caught it. Then my DH had it. Just before that one of my bf's had it ( not seen me lately). DD never got it. It just isn't making sense to me

And I work for a large global organisation and they don't offer a free flu jab when I thought they would

Pandemic is the short answer. If we were in a flu pandemic causing similar levels of disruption to healthcare provision/the economy then I’m pretty confident there would be a universal flu vaccination programme.

As it is, flu doesn’t produce the same cost/benefit balance when looking at providing flu vaccines. Tbh we do vaccinate very large groups for flu routinely I.e two to seventeen year olds, over 50’s, anyone with a weakened immune system including pregnant women, all healthcare staff.

The covid vaccine has a public health benefit as well a personal one

It almost certainly has less of a public health benefit than the flu vaccine, which also reduces spread just like the covid vaccine, the advantage of the flu vaccine is that the flu is so seasonal the waning of protection seen in both is much less relevant with flu.

There's no particularly persuasive reason why the vaccines should be considered differently on health grounds.