Eurosurveillance
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Comparative Study
The impact of the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic on attitudes of healthcare workers toward seasonal influenza vaccination 2010/11.
The emergence of the influenza A(H1N1)2009 virus provided a major challenge to health services around the world. However, vaccination rates for the public and for healthcare workers (HCWs) have remained low. We performed a study to review the reasons put forward by HCWs to refuse immunisation with the pandemic vaccine in 2009/10 and characterise attitudes in the influenza season 2010/11 due to the emergence of influenza A(H1N1)2009. ⋯ Of the HCWs and students surveyed, 270 of 1,645 (16.4%) stated that the pandemic had influenced their attitude towards vaccination in general. Many German HCWs remained unconvinced of the safety of the pandemic (adjuvanted) influenza vaccine. For this reason, effective risk communication should focus on educating the public and HCWs about influenza vaccine safety and the benefits of vaccination.
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On 16 April 2011, a working group of World Health Organization (WHO) member states agreed on a pandemic influenza preparedness framework. It regulates the sharing of viruses within the WHO Laboratory Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN) and the access to vaccines, antiviral drugs, diagnostic kits, and other benefits, in particular with regard to lower-income countries. It foresees mandatory regular contributions from industry partners. ⋯ The agreed framework will be presented to the World Health Assembly in May 2011 for its consideration and approval. The agreement will strengthen global preparedness for potential future influenza pandemics. More detailed background information and a comment on the implications of this achievement has been published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.