If you are a diabetic do you have to take the flu vaccine?

Answer 1

Nobody has to take it in the US, but it is highly recommended by the public health organizations that those at high risk for complications do get the vaccination. Diabetics are among the groups at higher risk.

The vaccines approved in the US have undergone more testing than even the yearly seasonal flu vaccines usually undergo, and have been deemed safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with their approval for use. The vaccine is being manufactured the way that seasonal flu vaccines have been for years which have had very low adverse effects.

If you have concerns, discuss this with your doctor to find out what the best plan is for your particular case.

See the related questions below for a list of the groups who are at higher risk for complications from the A-H1N1/-09 influenza.

Answer 2

In the US, only if they have an insurance plan that specifically covers it.

During the 2009 pandemic, the new vaccine for H1N1/09 was offered free to all in the US from the federal government. There is no federal government benefit to give free seasonal flu shots to all diabetics, but there may be laws in a few states that require it to be covered without copays for any plan offered in the state. It would make sense to do that since diabetics are among the groups at higher risk to have complications, hospitalizations or even die from the seasonal flu. Most HMO plans offer broader coverage for preventive care and those would usually cover immunizations, some with and some without nominal copays. It is in the interest of insurance companies to help diabetics manage their disease and prevent expensive hospitalizations with inexpensive immunizations.

Some insurance plans have special programs called "Disease Management" for diabetics and those with certain other chronic diseases. It may be that many of those plans do (wisely) offer preventive immunizations without cost to the patient.

Medicare does fully cover flu vaccinations and some diabetics who are not yet old enough for Medicare can qualify for it if they are disabled from the disease and its complications. In addition, there are special federal plans for patients who have renal disease (kidney failure or insufficiency) and many of those patients are diabetics (who often have kidney damage related to the effects of the Diabetes on the kidneys), and those programs would cover preventive flu vaccinations.

In Canada, flu vaccinations are indeed covered by universal health care. While the general public must go to a flu clinic set up specifically for the vaccinations, there is no charge to anyone. All chronically ill patients including diabetics and senior citizens get their immunizations as soon as the vaccine becomes available (often before the general public) and received in their general practitioners office.