Editorial: Vaccination requires information

Flu season is just around the corner.

And with that comes the decision on whether to vaccinate or not against the illness.

Swine flu (H1N1) is expected to hit New Zealand again this winter. Last year many people might have thought its arrival and effects were blown out of proportion.

According to the Ministry of Health, more than 3200 people had the swine flu infection in New Zealand last year, and at least 20 of those cases resulted in death.

Usually it's a very mild illness. But some people are far more badly affected than others. That group includes children under one, Pasifika and Maori people, pregnant women and those with pre-existing conditions, such as lung and heart diseases.

The seasonal influenza vaccination programme was launched this week and is being rolled out through GP practices over the coming weeks. The vaccine contains three strains of the flu, including the current H1N1 strain.

It is expected swine flu will again dominate this winter. The Ministry of Health says while the timing of infection in 2010 is uncertain, experience in the northern hemisphere suggests that it may start as early as mid-March and peak in April.

Marlborough had one possible swine flu-related death last year. Possible, because the victim had other serious health problems as well, and authorities can not say for sure what he died of.

The Marlborough case fits in with what we know about swine flu and who it most adversely affects.

Which brings us to the question of vaccinations. There is an argument that vaccinations should be more specifically targeted, rather than a broad sweep approach. It is possible not everyone needs it.

Health authorities have begun the process by making the vaccine free for pregnant women and the morbidly obese. It makes sense: intensive care units in New Zealand and Australia report nearly 10 per cent of people admitted with the condition last year were pregnant and nearly 30 per cent obese, say health authorities here.

One of the long time campaigners against vaccination in Marlborough says for most people, a healthy diet and lifestyle should help them fight the illness.

That's fair enough, but one of the major groups affected by swine flu, obese people, are not doing that. And it is people with pre-existing conditions who are also worse affected. Those conditions are rife in poorer people.

Vaccination is a contentious issue. If people have to make the decision themselves, it is imperative they are fully engaged and fully informed on the issue. And then if they want the vaccine, it is equally important they have access to it. What can't happen is one group of people compromising the health of another.

- The Marlborough Express

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