Expert consensus on developing publicly-funded influenza vaccination project plan

Abstract

The overall coverage rate of influenza vaccination in China has been only about 2% in recent years. At present, free influenza vaccination programs, also named the "Publicly-funded Influenza Vaccination Project", have been carried out for the specific groups (the elderly, school-age children, healthcare workers, etc.) through livelihood projects or policies to benefit the people in some areas of China, which has significantly increased the vaccine coverage in the target population. In order to promote the project to be launched in a scientific and orderly manner in more and more regions of China, we organized and compiled this consensus on implementation of publicly-funded influenza vaccination project, including the project's purpose, establishment, implementation, organization and management, which was based on the research of influenza vaccine application strategies in some European countries and the United States and combined with the relevant policies, technical guidelines and past experiences in China. Meanwhile, the evaluation indicators, such as vaccination rates, effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness, and relevant assessment methods were also comprehensively expounded, aiming to provide reference for regions that are willing to implement or have launched the project.