Get your flu vaccination for 2019
Why should I get the 2019 flu vaccination?
To protect yourself, your family and vulnerable community members.
In Africa, the flu vaccination is not provided under the EPI schedule. Everybody is at risk of getting the flu but there are vulnerable groups of our population such as, young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women and people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, HIV, AIDS, heart, lung or kidney diseases and weakened immune systems that are highly susceptible of getting severe diseases when infected by the flu.
Where can I get the flu vaccine in South Africa?
The flu vaccine is available throughout South Africa at pharmacies, private clinics and is also provided at work by many companies and organisations.
Flu vaccinations at the workplace:
Encouraging employees to get vaccinated can save thousands of rands in health care costs and loss of productivity. Many large companies, educational institutions and organisations routinely host immunisation drives before flu season to ensure employees are protected. Contact your companies medical aid provider to find out if an immunisation drive can be hosted at your place of work.
If your employer is giving you the opportunity to get a flu vaccine this year and you able to then support other people getting vaccinated at home and in your family.
How much will it cost in South Africa?
Depending on where you go to get your flu vaccination the vaccine will cost between R70 - R100.
Medical aid scheme members who fall in the high-risk category will get the flu vaccine covered by screening and benefits while non-high risk members will pay for the vaccine from their medical savings account.
The cost of not getting the flu vaccination:
While there is a lack of strong evidence indicating the economic cost of flu in Africa, it is presumed to be substantial. A 2003 study in the US measured the disease burden and costs of influenza and concluded the cost to be in excess of $80 billion. The WHO promotes the flu vaccine as the most effective way to prevent infection and by getting the flu vaccination everyone can decrease the economic burden caused annually by the influenza virus.
Getting the flu vaccine in other African countries
The flu vaccine is not part of state immunisation schedules throughout Africa but is recommended for high-risk, vulnerable groups of the population and be obtained privately from medical health care providers or at specific state funded flu vaccine drives. Please see our link to Immunisation Schedules - Africa for more information on a specific counties immunisation schedules.
Page created on 20 April 2019
Page updated on 24 May 2019
Information in this article was obtained from the following websites
https://www.who.int/influenza/en/
http://www.nicd.ac.za/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17544181