Should healthcare workers have the swine flu vaccine?

doi:10.1136/bmj.b3398

Published 25 August 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b3398
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b3398

Editorials

Should healthcare workers have the swine flu vaccine?

Evidence from decades of seasonal vaccination suggests likelybenefits and low risk of adverse events

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The first batch of vaccine for the influenza A/H1N1 2009 "swineflu" pandemic should be ready and licensed by October,¹ andthe United Kingdom’s government has ordered enough vaccinefor each person to receive two doses. Because vaccine productionwill take several months to complete, a prioritisation planhas just been announced, and frontline healthcare workers willbe among the first to be offered vaccination. The potentialbenefits of influenza vaccination for healthcare workers arethreefold—personal protection, protection of patients,and reduction of absenteeism. There is good evidence that amonghealthcare workers a well matched seasonal vaccine is 85-90%effective in preventing serologically confirmed influenza,²that it indirectly protects elderly patients in some settings,³that it may reduce absenteeism, and that it has limited andmild adverse effects.⁴ Despite this, uptake of seasonal fluvaccine among healthcare workers has consistently been low (inwinter 2008-9 only 16.5% of healthcare workers . . . [Full text of this article]

Rachel Jordan, lecturer and NIHR research fellow¹, Andrew Hayward, senior lecturer²

¹ Unit of Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Public Health Building, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, ² University College of London Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Department of Infection and Population Health, Royal Free Campus, London NW3 2PF

r.e.jordan@bham.ac.uk

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Only if they have full access to the facts and their choice is not based on coercion: Harry Hall
bmj.com, 26 Aug 2009 [Full text]
Why the query?: Peter J Flegg
bmj.com, 27 Aug 2009 [Full text]
For who's benefit?: Hendrik J Beerstecher
bmj.com, 13 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Flu vaccination for healthcare workers: ethical considerations: Gee Yen Shin
bmj.com, 15 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Flu vaccination for healthcare workers: ethical considerations: Harry Hall
bmj.com, 16 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Health professionals concern's about 'swine flu' vaccine need to be addressed.: Hugh G Bakere, et al.
bmj.com, 17 Sep 2009 [Full text]