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Health ministry: Get a flu shot, but on your own dime By Roni Linder-Ganz The Health Ministry will recommend that children up to the age of five be inoculated against influenza starting with the upcoming season, but the cost of the vaccine will not be subsidized by the state, nor will it be provided at well-baby clinics. Normally the Health Ministry recommends that children aged six months to two years receive flu shots, but the ministry has decided to update its instructions to health care centers and broaden the age group. Advertisement Since the vaccine is not being subsidized, families wishing to inoculate their children will have to do so at the respective Health Maintenance Organization that provides them with health coverage. Each HMO charges a different fee for such services. Other groups that the Health Ministry recommends vaccinating include the elderly aged 65 and older, pregnant women, health workers, persons who suffer chronic ailments and patients in psychiatric institutions. "The importance of the recommendation is in the fact that it is age-focused and may raise the awareness of parents and doctors to the importance of inoculation," says Professor Shmuel Rishpon, who heads the Advisory Committee on Infectious Diseases and Vaccinations at the ministry, which recommended broadening the use of flu shots. In anticipation of a high demand for the inoculations, the HMOs, who are responsible for providing the flu shots, are required to plan for the procurement of sufficient quantities of vaccines. However, the HMOs must also try to avoid being stuck with large stocks when the season comes to an end, since the inoculations are only effective for one season. Assessing demand is problematic: Three years ago, for example, when there were public concerns for the outbreak of an Avian Flu epidemic, demand was enormous and the HMOs were hard pressed to meet the need. Last year, the Clalit HMO had to destroy tens of thousands of vaccines, each costing NIS 40, due to a lack of demand. "These instructions are given too late for us to prepare with sufficient stocks," a senior HMO official told Haaretz. "In order for us to be ready with sufficient stocks, we need to place orders for vaccines a lot earlier than August - in April or May." The same source said that "even though the subject of inoculations is the responsibility of the Health Ministry and HMOs do not receive budgets for this, the ministry avoids responsibility for some time and the HMOs are forced to pay for the flu shots on their own and assume all responsibility. It is unfortunate that the ministry did not procure some stocks of vaccines in order to provide the HMOs with relief in case of shortages." A Health Ministry spokesperson said that "the claim of the anonymous source is strange, in view of the fact that representatives of the HMOs were invited to the discussions of the advisory committee on infectious diseases and vaccinations in July 2008." The same source stressed that the issue of recommending expanded inoculation against influenza was discussed with the understanding that "there is no expected increase in the use of the vaccines, and therefore there are no major concerns for shortages." Professor Rishpon agrees that the number of children expected to be part of the broader inoculation effort is a uncertain. "We know that these plans emerge slowly and it takes time for doctors, nurses and parents to appreciate the need for inoculation. In the U.S. a decision was made to vaccinate children of these ages [up to five years old] three years ago, yet the number of those receiving flu shots ranges only between 20 to 40 percent. We expect that the increase will be gradual." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Tears of joy Shahar Zubari's bronze medal was Israel's first of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 'Germ of corruption' Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeats his prediction that Israel will be wiped off the map.

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