Once the pandemic was officially over you could have been forgiven for thinking that you’d heard the last of the insidious H1N1 swine flu virus. But no – it seems as though it is set to fuel public anxiety for many seasons to come.
There are three stories doing the rounds in the UK media. First, there is the low uptake of vaccinations this year, particularly among health workers. Second, there is a shortage of vaccine in some areas so that those most at risk can’t obtain it. And third, those who are not in vulnerable groups of the population – the ‘worried well’ – are paying to be vaccinated privately.
But logic says that if there is low uptake, there must be plenty of vaccine available. And as doctors know how many vulnerable patients they have and how many of these are likely to come forward for vaccination, how can they not have enough doses available and how can they complain about those who feel the need to protect themselves by paying privately for a vaccination?
It is true that this season’s outbreak is probably the worst for a decade in terms of the number of people infected (excluding the pandemic), and is hitting the UK worse than the rest of Europe. The number of hospitalisations is also higher than usual, but the number of fatalities is very low at around 50 – well below the figure for even a very mild year.
At least we are now finding a use for the outdated stockpiles of last year’s vaccine left over once the pandemic panic died down.
It would be entirely wrong to stop people from having a vaccination privately if they wish, just as it would be wrong to stop the vaccine manufacturers selling their product to retail pharmacies as well as to healthcare providers.
If a legislative solution is required, it would be better to make vaccination compulsory among front-line health workers to prevent the virus spreading and to ensure that the health services are fully manned at the time of greatest need.
Perhaps the greatest irony is that those who are infected with swine flu and recover may be left with much higher immunity to all flu viruses, according to a study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. So rather than paying to be vaccinated, the ‘worried well’ might do better to seek out the virus and endure/enjoy a few days in bed.