With the number of cases of influenza this winter, it should be everyone’s priority to get the flu vaccination. However with the fairly high price of ten pounds per vaccine, this may be impossible for some.  For the very young, very old and those with medical conditions, this injection is free. But should these groups of people be the only ones who have to pay nothing for such an essential immunisation.

Cases of flu have not been this high since 2010. Schools are seeing an increase number of children affected by the flu. In some cases almost half a class has been affected by flu-like symptoms. Children are coming to school with the early stages of the virus, which means that other children, and of course teachers, are becoming increasingly exposed to the flu virus.

Teachers are essential to the smooth running of the school and obviously our children’s education. If teachers are ill, the children cannot be taught so successfully. Schools have to pay for supply teachers to cover their absences, which will in turn damage school budgets. Money marked for enhancing educational experiences in schools will have to be used on paying for the supply teachers instead. This can cost between 100 and 120 pounds per day. For the cost of 2 days supply you can get approximately 25 teachers vaccinated. Surely this is a more cost effective way of spending the money.

If teachers were granted the flu vaccine for free, then this money wouldn’t have to be spent on their cover but on improving their pupils’ education instead.  Jane Monaghan, a primary school teacher I spoke to agreed. “Teachers are in the front line when it comes to being exposed to flu,” she says. “Surely it makes sense to protect them so that schools don’t have to spend precious budgets on supply cover.”  This is a clear problem that needs to be addressed before more issues arise from it. If teachers do not receive this vaccination, then it won’t just affect them but their students and the school itself. It will cost schools a fortune in the long run. This issue needs to be addressed before more teachers contract the flu.