Notice relating to the efficacy of the seasonal influenza vaccine in older people and to the place of healthcare professional immunisation in the influenza prevention strategy

Seasonal influenza currently affects 2 to 8 million people in France and leads to several thousand deaths, mostly in over 65s.

The French High Council of public health (HCSP) has reviewed recent data – notably meta-analyses – relating to influenza immunisation in older people, the specific risk of influenza in healthcare professionals, the risk of hospital-acquired influenza due to carers, as well as studies on the value of immunising carers to protect patients.

The HCSP considers, with regard to the meta-analyses, that the absence of any evidence of efficacy (for methodology reasons) for the seasonal influenza vaccination in certain populations does not mean that the vaccine is not efficacious. Indeed, other studies, notably French studies, do assign an efficacy to the vaccine in these populations and the benefit/risk ratio remains positive; furthermore, influenza vaccines present a good tolerance profile.

They recommend in particular:

that yearly influenza immunisation campaigns for people aged 65 and over should be continued;

that the immunisation against influenza of healthcare professionals should be continued as part of an overall hospital-acquired infection prevention programme, in addition to barrier measures.

Additionally, the HCSP considers that there is a need to promote academic research into the development of more efficacious vaccines. A complementary strategy of providing indirect protection of those persons most at risk of complications by vaccinating the children in their proximity, could be contemplated. This would require making a live nasal vaccine available, carrying out an independent acceptability study directed at healthcare professionals and the general public and implementing the management procedures to achieve a high vaccination coverage.