Each year, we witness the yearly marketing campaign to invite everyone to have the ‘flu vaccine’. I often hear the same question: ‘Should I have a flu vaccine shot or not?’.
Often the answer is left in mid-air since there is no medical department the public can go to gain independent advice or guidance on the pros and cons of the flu vaccine, so people rely on their associates, or family, as to whether to have the shot or not. In some situations, it is the media pressure that influences the outcome. The Ministry of Health doesn’t have an advisory service about the flu vaccine, except the Immunise te what ora on immunisation shots. The public can ask their local chemist store or pharmacist, but they now administer the flu vaccine, so they remain outside independent advice. Administering the flu vaccine was normally given at a doctor’s surgery and according to reports, doctors would prefer you didn’t ask what the side-effects are as it consumes to much time to explain this to patients.