Thousands of lives could be saved each year, if only everyone over the age of 65 had a flu jab.

Dr Gregory Poland, a vaccine expert at the Mayo Clinic, says that universal vaccination in three regions over two flu seasons reduced mortality from the disease by 38 to 50 per cent. Clearly vaccination can be a life-saver, yet take-up rates are still only around 60 per cent.

Dr Poland proposes some changes to make vaccination universal among the over-65s. First, nurses should be able to prescribe the vaccine to elderly people in hospital. Next, set up special flu clinics and use 'standing orders' for repeat vaccination in doctors' offices, he says. Not only should we prepare for the next flu pandemic, but there's the ugly possibility of facing bioweapons consisting of the flu virus, which could devastate whole communities.

Source

Clinical Infectious Diseases 15th August 2002