Hayfever drug shortage: Private clinics cash in on demand by charging £100 for UNAPPROVED jab – Daily Mail
Clinics are cashing in on the UK’s hay fever drug shortage by promoting a jab that was withdrawn by the NHS due to safety concerns.
MailOnline found practices advertising Kenalog steroid injections on Instagram for between £35 and £100.
The powerful drug works by suppressing the immune system and dampening the allergic reaction hay fever sufferers experience. Its effects can last months.
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Clinics are cashing in on the UK’s hay fever drug shortage by promoting a jab that was withdrawn by the NHS due to safety concerns.
MailOnline found practices advertising Kenalog steroid injections on Instagram for between £35 and £100.
The powerful drug works by suppressing the immune system and dampening the allergic reaction hay fever sufferers experience. Its effects can last months.
But it was phased out of NHS use a decade ago after the safety watchdog decided the risks outweighed the benefits.
It was found to leave people vulnerable to other infections like chickenpox, shingles or the flu, and potentially cause irregular heartbeats, depression and high blood pressure.
While people can still legally get Kenalog privately, clinics are banned from promoting prescription-only medications under UK advertising rules.
Four clinics have already been sanctioned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for advertising the injection online.
It comes amid forecasts of high pollen levels across Britain this week and after a pollen bomb last weekend. Millions with bad hay fever, as well as asthma and other lung issues, are being urged to take precautions.
At the same time, stocks of some popular hay fever tablets are running low across the UK due to an ingredient shortage.
The Met Office is predicting medium-to-high levels across every area of England and Wales today
With the exception of Orkney and Shetland in Scotland the rest of the UK is expected to reach medium pollen levels by Wednesday
Hay fever suffers in North West and Yorkshire and Humber will particularly struggle this week with pollen levels predicted to be high from today onwards to at least Thursday
An Instagram story uploaded by one clinic urges its 6,500 followers ‘don’t let hay fever get you down, book your six months (sic) relief’
Lindsay Owens Aesthetics, which has practices in Bexleyheath and Rochford, promoted the drug to its 23,000 followers on Instagram.
WHAT IS KENALOG AND WHY WAS IT PULLED FROM NHS?
What is Kenalog?
Kenalog is a steroid injection used to treat hay fever.
The jab, usually administered to the buttocks, contains triamcinolone — a corticosteroid hormone.
Rather than curing hay fever, it is a blunt tool that works by suppressing the body’s immune response, so that symptoms are alleviated.
One injection may be enough for hay fever sufferers …….
