Vaccine programmes and policies

Management of an effective national vaccine strategy necessitates careful planning. In the face of budgetary constraints and the likely development of many new vaccines over the next few years, a rational choice of which vaccines to use and how best to use them will depend on first class disease surveillance, economic analysis of cost effectiveness and mathematical modelling to ensure optimal vaccine delivery. Effective immunisation programmes require strategic planning that integrates the outputs of these parameters with available health facilities with the least possible disruption. At the present time, the greatest threat to vaccination is resistance to continuing vaccination in the face of declining prevalence of many infectious diseases and heightened fears over vaccine safety. Re-assurance of the public that vaccines are safe demands effective detection of vaccine-related side-effects and rigorous investigation of any safety concerns.