Flu vaccine

halogen

I'm looking for stats on what your average case of Flu costs the NHS. Obviously its going to be skewed as most cases of flu are never reported, just managed at home, I'm just curious how much money the NHS saves by vaccinating.

Davy_Jones_II

It’s more about saving lives than saving money. Flu kills people every year, it’s an awful illness.

If you do want to look in purely monetary terms you also need to factor in list productivity by having people flat on their back for a week and another person having to care for them

halogen

Davy_Jones_II wrote: »

It’s more about saving lives than saving money. Flu kills people every year, it’s an awful illness.

If you do want to look in purely monetary terms you also need to factor in list productivity by having people flat on their back for a week and another person having to care for them

If that were the case they would give the vaccine to everyone, particularly those of working age where lost productivity is actually a factor.

Humanity is overdue a good global pandemic. I'd rather it were Flu than Elbola, Hantavirus, West Nile, Marburg... or any one of the actual killer viruses.
From what stats I can find the death rate from flu seems to be about 1%?

203846930

halogen wrote: »

I'm looking for stats on what your average case of Flu costs the NHS. Obviously its going to be skewed as most cases of flu are never reported, just managed at home, I'm just curious how much money the NHS saves by vaccinating.

Can't give you numbers but you have to think that the ones that qualify for a free vaccine are the ones that will end up being treated by the NHS and the ones that don't are the ones that are more likely to manage themselves at home.

Dad has 2 chronic illnesses that qualify him to get the jab and he takes it as getting the flu could put him in hospital, even when he was 'young & fit' he paid to get the jab as he frequently dealt with elderly folk and did not want to risk passing anything on while he was there.

Any strain of the flu can lay you low for a couple of weeks and as has been said it can be a killer for those in an already vulnerable state.

Toothsmith

halogen wrote: »

If that were the case they would give the vaccine to everyone, particularly those of working age where lost productivity is actually a factor.

Humanity is overdue a good global pandemic. I'd rather it were Flu than Elbola, Hantavirus, West Nile, Marburg... or any one of the actual killer viruses.
From what stats I can find the death rate from flu seems to be about 1%?

The 1918 flu pandemic killed more people than the entire Great War.

That pandemic was also unusual in that the people who were killed by it were often in the 'young, fit, healthy' demographic. These days we really only vaccinate 'at risk' groups.

Flu is not a 'minor illness'. It has more potential to wipe out large chunks of humanity than many of the 'sexier' nasty viruses!

Murphybear

Anyone who has had flu rather than a glorified cold, will know just how devasting it can be.

I have only had it once. I was in my mid 20s and reasonably fit and healthy. I was stuck in bed for nearly 3 weeks and felt like I’d had a brick wall thrown on top of me. Fortunately I had a brand new fianc! to look after me and my employers (the NHS) were very understanding.

halogen

Toothsmith wrote: »

The 1918 flu pandemic killed more people than the entire Great War.

That pandemic was also unusual in that the people who were killed by it were often in the 'young, fit, healthy' demographic. These days we really only vaccinate 'at risk' groups.

Flu is not a 'minor illness'. It has more potential to wipe out large chunks of humanity than many of the 'sexier' nasty viruses!

Flu is not a minor illness but it is one that we have vast experience in treating, unlike some of the more exotic killers. The 1918 epidemic was indeed unusual in the way that you suggest which is interesting epidemiologically and genetically..

donnac2558

It was mentioned in the news recently that last year in England over 1 million died!



So there you go halogen a bit of a cull. Which will mainly be those already in ill health and the elderly.

Toothsmith

donnac2558 wrote: »

It was mentioned in the news recently that last year in England over 1 million died!



So there you go halogen a bit of a cull. Which will mainly be those already in ill health and the elderly.

That seems a very high figure donnac2558 :eek:

I can't find figures for last winter - but the winter 2017/18 was an unusually high death rate (Death rate is always higher in the winter) and that came in at just over 50,000 excess deaths over summer rates. This factored in the 'flu deaths too (as the vaccine that year was not that effective)

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/30/excess-winter-deaths-in-england-and-wales-highest-since-1976

I think if there had been a million excess deaths last winter (20 x the year before) We'd have heard an awful lot more about it, even on top of Brexit news!

worried_jim

I qualify for it on the NHS due to chronic illness and have it every year (Oct 31st for me). It is also offered free to everyone at work as of this year as part of our BUPA coverage where they come in, you book a slot and job done.

kirtondm

Depends on where they pitch up and what treatment they require.

https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/national-tariff/#h2-201920-national-tariff-payment-system