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Flu vaccine attitudes abroad differ from U.S.
<!--endclickprintinclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--><!--no partner-->By Jen Christensen, CNN
updated 9:29 AM EST, Thu January 17, 2013
(CNN) -- The flu hasn't hit Europe as hard as it has the United States, health officials say, but when and if it does, don't expect a call for vaccination of the entire population.
Only the U.S. and Canada actually encourage everyone older than 6 months to get the flu vaccine.
Apparently, not a single country in Europe asks the general population to seek that same kind of protection, according to Robb Butler, the World Health Organization technical officer in vaccine preventable diseases and immunizations in the organization's Europe office in the Netherlands.
That's because global health experts say the data aren't there yet to support this kind of blanket vaccination policy, nor is there enough money. In fact, some scientists say the enthusiasm for mass vaccination in the United States may hurt efforts to create a better vaccine.
...
In a contrast to U.S. policy, the World Health Organization recommends only six "priority populations" get "the flu jab," as it's called in Britain.
These six groups are nursing home residents, people with chronic medical conditions like asthma, the elderly, pregnant women, health care workers, and children from ages 6 months to 2 years, Butler said. They are more vulnerable to the severe effects of the flu or come into contact more often with this highly contagious virus.
"We think the recommendations we have right now (are) a good start," Butler said. "Universal campaigns are quite challenging and expensive.
More...
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/17/health/flu-vaccine-policy/?hpt=he_c1
<!--endclickprintinclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--><!--no partner-->By Jen Christensen, CNN
updated 9:29 AM EST, Thu January 17, 2013
(CNN) -- The flu hasn't hit Europe as hard as it has the United States, health officials say, but when and if it does, don't expect a call for vaccination of the entire population.
Only the U.S. and Canada actually encourage everyone older than 6 months to get the flu vaccine.
Apparently, not a single country in Europe asks the general population to seek that same kind of protection, according to Robb Butler, the World Health Organization technical officer in vaccine preventable diseases and immunizations in the organization's Europe office in the Netherlands.
That's because global health experts say the data aren't there yet to support this kind of blanket vaccination policy, nor is there enough money. In fact, some scientists say the enthusiasm for mass vaccination in the United States may hurt efforts to create a better vaccine.
...
In a contrast to U.S. policy, the World Health Organization recommends only six "priority populations" get "the flu jab," as it's called in Britain.
These six groups are nursing home residents, people with chronic medical conditions like asthma, the elderly, pregnant women, health care workers, and children from ages 6 months to 2 years, Butler said. They are more vulnerable to the severe effects of the flu or come into contact more often with this highly contagious virus.
"We think the recommendations we have right now (are) a good start," Butler said. "Universal campaigns are quite challenging and expensive.
More...
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/17/health/flu-vaccine-policy/?hpt=he_c1