A costly remedy
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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Hide AdAnd, 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.