LAST fall, after many years, my wife, our daughter and I decided to get flu shots. The decision wasn’t popular with our nine-year-old, who doesn’t like having her skin punctured, but we thought that, given the smog season and the health disruptions we faced every winter in Lahore, it was worth the trouble and expense. And it was. Last winter, we had far fewer bouts of illness, despite the smog highs; when we did have symptoms, they were much milder and recovery much faster. My wife and I lost fewer days at work, and our daughter was able to go to school most days. We also relied much less on cough syrups, antibiotics, and similar medications.
It is almost that time of the year again. Flu shots should be available soon, if they aren’t already. Since influenza mutates significantly, the flu vaccine has to be updated often, and shots have to be taken every year. Despite this inconvenience, they are worth it. But it seems they are not very popular or widely available in Pakistan. We had to ask around and find clinics where we could get a flu shot. A muscular injection, they should be available at most, if not all, pharmacies.
Last year, our shot cost around Rs3,000 per head. So, they can be expensive for many households, but, given the cost-benefit, the state should make them available to vulnerable populations free of charge. It is very much a public health issue. The evidence from other countries is clear. The return on investment is indeed significant. Flu shots save the lives of vulnerable people: children, older populations, and people with compromised health and co-morbidities. Hospitalisations are fewer, and symptoms are less severe and more manageable when people fall sick. Even for the healthy, flu shots can collectively save millions of work hours. Children miss school less. And flu shots also create herd immunity. For the cost, could one ask for more?
