THE CASE FOR NATIONAL PHARMACARE
WITH FLU SEASON upon us, CARP’s director of community affairs Anthony Quinn met with the Regina chapter to lobby the Saskatchewan government to cover the high-dose vaccine. Quinn pointed out that, this year, Ontario will fund the new high-dose flu shot, developed specifically for seniors that is 24 per cent more effective than the regular shot. Seniors account for 70 per cent of all flu-related hospitalizations and 90 per cent of flu-related deaths. With provinces dealing with health-care funding issues, Quinn says the new flu vaccine will pay for itself, both in the prevention of illness, death and in the reduction of hospitalization costs. While the National Advisory Committee on Immunization says there is “good evidence” that the high-dose flu vaccine provides better protection, many older people will forego the more effective shot unless it’s covered. Quinn congratulated CARP’s Nova Scotia chapter, which successfully lobbied the government to provide the highdose shots to long-term care residents.