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Universal vaccination would 'benefit society'

US researchers are recommending everyone receives a flu jab, not just the elderly and others vulnerable to the virus.

They say the benefits outweigh the costs involved.

In this year's immunisation campaign in the UK, the Department of Health will target over-65s and vulnerable groups, such as those with asthma or heart disease, and people with weakened immune systems.

People who fall outside these groups are not normally given flu vaccinations, as they are better equipped to fight off flu, and it is thought that the occasional bout of flu improves their long-term resistance.

UK public health experts have cast doubt on the practicalities of universal vaccination.

But the US study suggested vaccinating young adults could be beneficial.

Researchers used a computer model to assess whether mass vaccination was worth the time and money.

Costs and benefits

Flu is a viral disease characterised by nasal congestion, dry cough and fever.

People with the virus tend to have at least two days off work.

The US team collated previously published data on the costs and benefits of flu vaccination.

They looked at the costs of the vaccine and drugs, work days lost to illness and how effective medications were.

Over 200 patients at a primary care clinic were also surveyed on how willing they were to pay for medications.

All this information was then entered into a computer model that calculated whether there was a net benefit or cost.

A thousand different calculations were made, with variations such as changes to the cost of flu vaccines.

Vaccination offered cost-benefits in 95% of scenarios. Non-vaccination was only the best option during a very mild flu season.

Treating flu patients with antiviral medications was the best option in 85% of the team's calculations.

'Needy first'

Dr Patrick Lee, an internal medicine specialist at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, California, said: "There has been a lot of debate about optimal treatment strategies.

"Our study shows that society as a whole benefits if you vaccinate the entire population and use antiviral medications on those who get sick."

Dr Lee said: "For most flu seasons, it is cost-beneficial for the whole society to be vaccinated.

"But, if there's not enough vaccine to go around, you need to vaccinate those who need it most first."

He added using a computer model was better than clinical trials.

He said: "Clinical trials are snapshots in time. They look at one flu season and one flu vaccine."

Logistical problems

But a spokesman for the Public Health Laboratory Service, which covers England and Wales, told BBC News Online that while universal vaccination might "look good on paper", questions remained.

He said: "Policy-makers also need to consider in detail the logistics of delivering flu vaccine to many millions of people every year, and the practicalities of delivering flu drugs which need to be given within 36 hours of the onset of symptoms.

"There are many other respiratory diseases which circulate in the winter besides flu which lead to loss of days worked," he added.

"Many studies around the world have in fact shown no difference in absentee rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated workers."

The study is published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. 

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