Commentary
This article discusses the unprecedented toll of COVID-19 and how it jumpstarted the race towards potential COVID-19 vaccinations, which have been developed in less than a year. It discusses how this feat was accomplished, and how clinical development, manufacturing scale-up and distribution are occurring in parallel for the four COVID-19 vaccine front-runners. It also discusses the many challenges that still lie ahead.
Case Report
In 2012, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended that the UK National Immunisation Programme for influenza be extended to include healthy children/adolescents aged 2–17 years. The extension of this new immunisation programme began in 2013–2014 and targeted children aged 2–3 years in primary care. This article describes the processes utilised in England and Scotland for programme setup, workforce management, identification and care of contraindicated patients, collection of data on vaccine uptake, communication strategies, and education of parents and children. In light of the lessons learnt from these pilot programmes, the authors make recommendations and offer practical advice to help ensure effective preparation and management of new childhood influenza vaccination programmes in other countries.
Case Report
When a new vaccine is licensed having passed the tests for efficacy and safety, governments who have to pay for it to be used, as in the UK, will carry out a careful economic appraisal before making it generally available. In this challenging article, Dr Peter English discusses whether or not a new vaccine for meningitis that has just been licensed and that could save lives is actually worth it.