Flu Flying High

Michael from Trentham

Influenza is all around us and affecting our lives more than some may realise.
It has been said that the flu is more dangerous/damaging/ easier to transmit than the Omicron variant of Covid 19.

The flu jab is available in NZ and is usually highly effective in preventing people from getting the flu or passing it on. But it is currently not compulsory though is free to people over a certain age or people with certain health conditions and involved in certain professions.

One of the current issues is that many people connected with DHBs in NZ ( nurses, doctors etc) are not getting the flu jab. In the Wellington region overall the number of such people not vaccinated against the flu is over 40%. The main reason given for not getting a simple, safe (to a very high degree) and lightening quick jab that has been around for over 20 years, is TIME.

Unvaccinated medical personnel not only are subject to getting influenza but they can pass the flu onto patients whose health is already compromised. And the other aspect is that the medical profession is critically short of staff and a bout of influenza will compound the shortages with flu ridden absentees from the workforce.

So should time for a jab be made available for the health profession? Should time and a jab be mandated like Covid vaccinations were?