Dear Editors
It's very good news that the government will pay to have an extra two million Australians vaccinated against the seasonal influenza. Let's overlook the matter that these vulnerable groups could have been offered free annual injections well before this.
We do need to concentrate our attention on provisions for the future. There are two issues, crucial to the planning of vaccination for influenza, about which we know almost nothing. One is whether or not the current vaccine for seasonal influenza affords any protection against the new H1N1 variant. The first question, then, is resolved by looking at the data. But, where is that data and who is responsible for collating it into evidence of effectiveness?
The second issue is vital for success of any plan to vaccinate the whole population against the new variant. The World Health Organisation has stated, very clearly, that any program of immunisation against the new variant must be followed with rigorous surveillance in order to identify any harmful outcomes of vaccination. That's because it is highly likely that entirely new methods of vaccine production will be used and citizens will be exposed to synthetic, novel molecules.
If the new variant remains in its present state and runs through the population without any greater morbidity and mortality than any other variety of influenza, the community will have plenty of time to be involved in proposed plans. However, in the event of increased deaths of healthy young people, buttons will be pushed to accelerate a program of mass vaccination. In that scenario of heightened concern, it may be suggested that arguments for the usual, cautious process will be out-weighed and that short-cuts should be taken.
Now is the time to address the matter of post-marketing surveillance of new vaccines. Who pays for it, who collects the data, who owns the data and will it be scrutinised by methods accessible to the public?
