Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Flu vaccines for every American, every year/ CIDRAP

From 3/2008 CIDRAP:

Until now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is advised by the ACIP, recommended flu vaccination for children from 6 through 59 months old. The new ACIP recommendation expands the target groups to include children from ages 5 through 18 years. That adds about 30 million children to the groups targeted for flu shots, the CDC estimates.

[Dr.] Wexler [executive director of the Immunization Action Coalition, an industry-sponsored vaccine advocacy group--Nass] observed that the ACIP recommendation pushes the country closer to embracing universal flu vaccination. Previously, flu immunization recommendations covered groups constituting about 74% of the US population, she said. Now, "it's probably up to 90%, or at least up to 85%."

In light of those numbers, she said, "I think it would be better to recommend vaccination for everyone. It's much simpler. . . . It's going to save clinicians a lot of time, instead of having to wade through and figure out who's supposed to be vaccinated. It'll be much easier for [insurance] coverage to be ascertained. . . . And I think it'll reduce influenza in circulation."[Why bother making an informed vaccination risk-benefit determination for each patient when it's so much easier to ignore their underlying conditions and recommend that every American get a flu shot, every year--Nass]

See also:

Feb 27 CIDRAP News story "ACIP recommends flu shots for all school children"

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