European Flu Vaccine Regulations and Their Impacts in Community-Dwelling Adults

Abstract

Vaccine regulations have two major facets, namely, firstly, vaccine registration, which covers guidelines for vaccines manufacturers regarding the quality, regulatory, nonclinical and clinical aspects of the development of vaccines, and secondly, recommendations regarding the population that should receive the vaccines. Concerted action is being taken at European level to increase vaccine coverage, particularly for influenza. A strategy against a flu pandemic is also recognized as being of prime public health importance. Healthcare workers should be made aware of the danger faced by their more vulnerable patients when the healthcare workers are not vaccinated. Measuring uptake, and analysis of the reasons why people are not being vaccinated, is also important to foster improved education and enhanced public awareness, with a view to achieving target coverage levels for all vaccines. Currently, vaccination practices and coverage are highly variable across the European Union, with few countries implementing a national vaccination plan, although a range of successful initiatives have been implemented in various countries. The heterogeneity of healthcare systems across Europe and the different histories of the individual countries render vaccination a complex issue, which will require a concerted and holistic approach to achieve the full benefits of vaccination across Europe.