Influenza vaccination strategies should target children

Journal article

Strategies to increase influenza vaccination rates have typically targeted healthcare professionals (HCPs) and individuals in various high-risk groups such as the elderly. We argue that they should (instead or as well) focus on increasing vaccination rates in children. Because children suffer higher influenza incidence rates than any other demographic group, and are major drivers of seasonal influenza epidemics, we argue that influenza vaccination strategies that serve to increase uptake rates in children are likely to be more effective in reducing influenza-related morbidity and mortality than those targeting HCPs or the elderly. This is true even though influenza-related morbidity and mortality amongst children is low, except in the very young. Further, we argue that there are no decisive reasons to suppose that children-focused strategies are less ethically acceptable than elderly- or HCP-focused strategies.

Authors: Savulescu, J; Douglas, T; Maslen, H; Bambery, B; Selgelid, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Journal: Public Health Ethics
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 221–234
• Publication date: 2017-12-08
• Acceptance date: 2017-10-14
• DOI: 10.1093/phe/phx021
• EISSN: 1754-9981
• ISSN: 1754-9973