You may notice the lack of posters encouraging you to get flu vaccinations. You may also notice that there has been no talk of setting a day aside at school and workplaces to get flu shots. That is because there are not enough flu vaccinations to go around.
Two companies produce all the flu vaccinations for the world. That’s right. Only two companies supply the world.
Next time you go to grocery shopping, stop by the pharmaceutical aisle. How many headache medicine providers are there? And, though you cannot find this at the grocery store, can you imagine how many companies create generic Viagra? Far more than two, if your e-mail inbox is any indication.
There is no cure for the common cold. But there is a vaccine for the other common winter ailment. Plus, the flu is far more dangerous than a cold, headaches or erectile dysfunction. So why are more companies not making flu vaccinations?
While that is something to complain about, the fact still stands that one company is not providing vaccinations, so the world’s supply has been cut in half. The best way to deal with it is to ration the vaccinations to people who are most at risk.
But who have been included in the risk cases? Most people only include small children and adults older than 65. Health care workers are also included in the mix.
But we also have to consider other people whose risk factors have nothing to do with their age. People such as school teachers and others who work with a lot of children are at risk. School children are also at risk since they are constantly in close quarters with each other and most are not as careful to take preventative measures against illness.
It makes sense to ration out vaccines this winter. We just need to make sure that we are not rationing them too much and depriving people who really need them.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Angela Adair, news editor Elizabeth Crisp, sports editor Craig Peters, entertainment editor Dustin Barnes, managing editor Pam McTeer and editor in chief Josh Foreman.