Vaccination during a pandemic
Since it is impossible to vaccinate the entire world population against a pandemic influenza virus when a pandemic emerges, it is necessary to determine which groups must be immunized with priority. After all, effective allocation of vaccines will play a critical role in slowing down the spread of the influenza pandemic and reducing its effects on health and society. In Europe, the envisaged prioritization differs from country to country. The American Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has issued recommendations that could serve as an example. Groups are listed in order of importance:
Healthcare workers
- Healthcare workers with direct patient contact and critical healthcare support staff
- Vaccine and antiviral manufacturing personnel
Highest-risk groups
- Patients 65 and older with at least one high-risk condition
- Patients 6 months to 64 years with at least two high-risk conditions
- Patients hospitalized in the past year because of pneumonia, influenza or another high-risk condition
Household contacts and pregnancy
- Household contacts with children under 6 months
- Household contacts with severely immune-compromised individuals
- Pregnant women
Pandemic responders
- Key government leaders and critical pandemic public health responders
Other high-risk groups
- Patients 65 and older with no high-risk condition
- Patients 6 months to 64 years with one high-risk condition
- Children 6 to 23 months
Critical infrastructure groups
- Other public health emergency responders, public safety workers, utility workers, critical transportation workers and telecommunications workers
- Other key government healthcare decision-makers
- Individuals providing mortuary services
- Healthy patients 2 to 64 years without any high-risk conditions.