A costly remedy

AT first glance, it appeared to be one of the more sensible money-saving measures. Why should the Department of Health pay for campaigns to persuade patients to take up flu vaccines when individuals should take responsibility for their own wellbeing rather than the "nanny state" created by Labour?

Yet, while the coalition is right to be concerned at the amount of money spent on promotional work, this exercise becomes self-defeating if hospitals are overwhelmed by a surge in flu cases, in part because vulnerable people did not take up the vaccinations that were available to them.

Striking a balance between public health and individual responsibility is a perpetual challenge, but it is clear that the country is gripped by a serious outbreak of flu, amid growing evidence that the spectre of swine flu has returned.

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And, just as the Government is having to learn from the transport industry's failings during the big freeze, it is imperative that Ministers reappraise their approach to vaccines. For, unlike a late train or aeroplane, people's lives can depend upon such judgements.