On average 20-30% of children in Europe contract flu each year, typically resulting in fevers, coughs and runny noses along with the potential for more serious effects. An LSE Health report for AstraZeneca, managed by LSE Enterprise, argues in favour for vaccinating children in European countries against influenza.
When children get flu it often prevents their parents/carers from attending work, as well as creating pressure on health services. Younger age groups also play a pivotal role in the transmission of disease. While children are not the group most at risk from flu, therefore, vaccinating them has the potential to reduce the burden of disease both for them and for unvaccinated adults.
The UK already has a free flu vaccination programme for healthy children, alongside Finland and Latvia. The study explores the reasons why other European countries do not, ranging from whether their health systems enable mass vaccination via schools to public opinion about vaccination: for example, is it ethical to vaccinate children in order to protect vulnerable adults?
It concludes that countries with younger populations, a high disease burden, high population density and the ability to deliver the vaccine within their existing systems should consider a national vaccination programme for children and adolescents.
Researchers Professor Alistair McGuire and Sam Keeping presented the final results of the study at a policy roundtable in Brussels on 26 March 2015.
Read the report: Childhood and Adolescent Influenza Vaccination
