Out of hours services would need to expand in more severe flu pandemic

Source: BMJ News

Follow this link for abstract

Year of publication: March 2010

Publication Type: News-Item

In a nutshell: A lack of capacity in out of hours services means that GPs in England would struggle to cope if a more severe wave of pandemic flu were to occur, speakers said at a pandemic summit at the Royal College of General Practitioners in London on 18 March. The number of patients contacting out of hours services in Tower Hamlets in London in July 2009 at the height of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic was more than double the number in the previous year. On one day 200 people were waiting to be called back by an out of hours GP. Meanwhile in Liverpool and Knowlsley the volume of calls to out of hours providers rose by 150% during one week in July. Resources were being stretched by the need for home visits, said Simon Abrams, a GP and medical director of Urgent Health UK, an umbrella group of providers of . . .

Length of publication: 1 page news-item

Why don’t we vaccinate against chickenpox?

Source: BBC News

Follow this link for full-text

Year of publication: March 2010

Publication Type: News-Item

In a nutshell: It is peak season for chickenpox – the highly-contagious, blistering virus which for most children is unpleasant and for a very few lethal. A safe and effective vaccine is available – why don’t we use it? The varicella vaccine is available privately, but the UK’s immunisation body decided last year against universal vaccination of children – as carried out in many developed countries – citing cost and the fear it could increase shingles, a reactivation of the virus, in older people.

Length of publication: 1 page news-item

Throat cancer surge prompts HPV jabs for boys rethink

Source: Health Care Republic

Follow this link for full-text

Year of publication: March 2010

Publication Type: News-Item

In a nutshell: Growing incidence of HPV-related throat cancer may make vaccinations for boys cost effective, researchers say. Previous calls for boys to receive HPV vaccinations were rejected after it surpassed the upper threshold of NICE’s cost-effectiveness benchmark – cost per ‘quality adjusted life year’ (QALY). However, the UK has seen a 51% rise in incidence of oral and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in men, rising from seven per 100,000 to 11 per 100,000 between 1989 and 2006. Researchers said this recent surge may alter the cost effectiveness argument and mean vaccination programmes for boys might be justified on health economic basis.

Length of publication: 1 page news-item

Further dissemination

If you think anyone would benefit from receiving this post or from subscribing to this blog please email them the link to this blog and suggest they sign up to the blog newsletter to stay up-to-date with new content.

Immunisation Horizon Scanning Bulletin Volume 2 Issue 2