HEALTH COMMITTEE PUBLISHES FLU VACCINATION REPORT

In response to last winter's flu epidemic, the Parliament's Health & Community Care Committee today published its report on flu vaccination, making recommendations for the future management of flu immunisation programmes in Scotland.

Committee member and author of the report Dr Richard Simpson said:

"There can be no doubt that an effective vaccination policy with improved uptake, particularly in high risk groups of all ages and the elderly, can make a substantial contribution to the health of the population and to the stability of the NHS during the winter period.

"In light of the widespread disruption caused by last year's flu outbreak, it was clear that there were lessons to be learned by our health services.

"I am pleased to note that over the past twelve months key elements in this report have already been put in place. For example, the 'at risk' category has been extended to the over 65s, we have a voluntary vaccination scheme for health staff and the Executive has indicated that this year's flu advice campaign will be more extensive and better timed.

"However, work remains to be done. Scotland must be adequately prepared with updated emergency procedures if we are to protect our vulnerable citizens and our economic well being against the threat of influenza. This detailed report and its recommendations should be seen as an important step towards those ends."

The Health & Community Care Committee's report includes the following observations and recommendations:

On supply and distribution:

• The Management Executive of the NHS in Scotland and the Common Services Agency should be invited to consider whether alternative methods of production and distribution, including a state owned or jointly owned facility, would be of any advantage to the NHS in Scotland (as in Holland).
• Agreement be reached with UK manufacturers of vaccine on the methods of supplying pandemic and anti-viral treatments on an emergency order basis.

On management:

• The GP vaccination reimbursement scheme negotiated by the Scottish Executive includes 2000/1 targets. On current evidence, it is to be hoped that the industry will be able to respond to the higher required level of vaccine production within the tight time-scale that has been set.
• The Executive must, therefore, ensure that the vaccination programme agreed in these negotiations is properly managed, particularly in relation to vaccine supply during this first winter.

Publicity Campaign Advice

• There should be an earlier national publicity campaign for the self-management of influenza symptoms with reference to advice from community pharmacists who will be crucial in the campaign.
• The self management campaign should commence initially on a low-key basis with increasing output tied to the early warning systems made available via Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH).

On Pandemics

• It seems unlikely that, after an interval of 32 years, a new pandemic will not occur within the next decade. That outbreak could be as virulent as Spanish Influenza or as moderate as the Asian or Hong Kong pandemics of 1959 and 1968. Scotland must, therefore, be adequately prepared with the appropriate updated emergency procedures.

BACKGROUND NOTES

Pandemics are rare. They have occurred at intervals of 11 to 42 years following no clear or predictable pattern. Pandemics arise from a new strain of influenza A virus type to which the population has little or no immunity. The levels of population affected can be many times more than those recorded in an epidemic.

The report by the Health and Community Care Committee is based on peer-reviewed published research and interviews with health professionals and government agencies such as SCIEH, Public Health Laboratory Services and the Scottish Executive Health Department.