Universal influenza vaccination: a Mexican Expert Position Paper.

Abstract

Influenza is a costly disease for the population. It is a cause of seasonal morbidity and mortality, epidemics and pandemics or syndemics. Given the variability of the virus, surveillance systems are implemented in order to update the strains and include them in the annual influenza vaccine. This vaccine is currently recommended in some high-risk groups. However, universal vaccination remains controversial. To evaluate the evidence and describe the position of a panel of experts on the relevance of universal vaccination against influenza virus. Five clinical questions were asked, whereby a systematic search of the literature in electronic sources and a Delphi panel were carried out. The evidence was analyzed, and recommendations were issued by the experts. The group of experts recommends vaccinating the population starting at six months of age and include people who live with egg protein allergy, with comorbidities (diabetes, obesity, cancer), health workers and pregnant women. Vaccination, starting with vulnerable groups, is a necessary, ethical and cost-effective strategy. However, expanding the coverage to achieve universal vaccination could reduce the transmission of the disease and its consequences in the population.