Flu jab cost to NHS
Archergirl
Forumite 1.7K Posts
Just wondering about this, not moneysaving to us but maybe to the NHS
Which is more cost effective for the NHS, getting your flu jab at the doctors by a nurse or getting it done at the chemist?
Which is more cost effective for the NHS, getting your flu jab at the doctors by a nurse or getting it done at the chemist?
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If you use a pharmacy it is not.
Either way the cost is the same.
If I get the flu jab from my surgery, the NHS must be paying for the dose, plus the time of those giving the injections, plus (for my surgery) the cost of hiring the church hall for a couple of Saturday mornings.
If I get the flu jab from my local pharmacy, surely the pharmacy is paying for the doses, and is that within the NHS or not?
Also - and I could have misunderstood this - when I spoke to my surgery, they suggested there were two different vaccines this year: one for those entitled to the 'free' jabs, and one for the rest of us. Their flu clinics are fully booked, so I was told to ring after they'd finished, to see how many doses they'd got left. I was confused ...
And since work are willing to pay for me to have a flu jab I shall go elsewhere ...
? The dose is paid for either way. The surgery are not goiing to give out paid for ones though. They also both get a fee for it. Would you rather the fee go to the NHS or someone else?
If the surgery were not making a profit they would not hire the church hall. They are not forced to. Mine just open the surgery on a sat for 2 min appointments, so maybe yours make less. Who knows. I know they like me to get myy prescriptions from them as well (Being in the next village I am allowed, if I was in the same village I would not be allowed, I guess boots made that a requrement of keeping a phharmacy open. But thay cannot dictate on flu jabs.
As above, it's m,ore about the money they get for providing the service going back to the NHS or not. Not the initial outlay. Which is also probably subsidised either way. If it was not would your surgery even provide them?
There are two different vacs every year. Usually one for young people and one for over 70s (which may have protection against extra strains). Not heard of the free one being different though. Maybe justy confusion becuase most of the free ones go to the "old". Not me though only 44 (but elligable). And yes there are shortages this year and even out usually good docss has said go to a pharmacy if it is easier for you. It's not a crime, it's just better to support the NHS more if possible right?
Fair enough. You know what is more convienient for you. But don't be under the impression that you are not taking money (albeit not a lot) out of the NHS system.
If you get it free you can get it anywhere free. But wheather the fee goes back into the NHS of not is the important bit surely. Much like getting your prescriptions within the NHS rather than out of it. But all things are not possible for all peopla. It can be a lot to do with what your doctors offer and where you are. Such is life.
For an adult under 65 whichever place offers the cell-based quadrivalent vaccine instead of the quadrivalent egg-based is likely to be the best choice. Quadrivalent means it protects against four types of flu virus. The new this year choice is grown in mammal cells (QIVc) instead of eggs and because of this difference it adds about 20 percentage points to the effectiveness against flu type A(H3N2). Egg-based (QICe) is less effective for this particular type because it's changed to do better in eggs than against the type in humans, a process called egg adaptation. The various A(H3..) types are currently the most common ones being found in the UK by the national flu monitoring program but this may well change to an A(H1...) type when the main flu season comes along. Cell-based will be used for everyone in this group with an egg allergy. As an individual patient you might as well go for the most effective vaccine. Egg QIVe costs £8.00 or £9.94 depending on brand, cell QIVc £9.94.
For 65 and over the egg types QIVe for under-65s aren't offered because they aren't effective enough. It's age that makes the under 65 types unsuitable (but better than nothing) because we respond less to vaccines as we get older. The risk is higher in this group overall so getting any of the types is what matters. You're quite likely to be given a trivalent (three types of flu) vaccine that's had adjustments made to get better protection for older people (adjuvanted trivalent, aTIV) but might get a quadrivalent cell-grown one instead. It's currently unclear which is best. As of 17 October around 40% of GP patients in this group had already been vaccinated. Adjuvanted trivalent costs £9.79, QIVc £9.94.
GPs can get extra payments for advanced services mainly related to getting more people immunised, including letters and texts.
A GP might divert you from a nurse to a doctor if that seems useful due to some other health factor.
You can read the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's Advice on influenza vaccines for 2019/20 or learn more from their minutes.
For more on flu vaccination in the UK see chapter 19 of the green book.
Lots of coverage of specific groups but free NHS immunisation is also available to those in regular contact with them can also get it free at their GPs discretion, including:
People might want to favour their GP business over a pharmacy business but sometimes a local pharmacy might have a greater need for the extra revenue. And picking the most effective vaccine could matter more for under-65s in risk groups.
Words, words, they're all we have to go by!.
(Pity they are mangled by this autocorrect!)