Eligibility Criteria for seasonal influenza vaccination
The national policy for seasonal influenza vaccine remains the same except for the inclusion of pregnant women who are not in the clinical at risk group and who have not previously received the H1N1 swine influenza vaccine . Therefore, the seasonal vaccine should be offered to the following groups:
i) all those aged 65 years and over;
ii) all those aged 6 months or over in a clinical risk group (see below);
iii) those living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities where rapid spread is likely to follow introduction of infection and cause high morbidity and mortality. This does not include for instance prisons, young offender institutions, or university halls of residence;
iv) those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an older or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill. This should be given on an individual basis at the GP’s discretion.
As well as offering influenza vaccine to people in the clinical risk groups set out below, GPs will take into account the risk of influenza infection exacerbating any other underlying disease that a patient may have, as well as the risk of serious illness from influenza itself. GPs will consider on an individual basis the clinical needs of their patients including individuals with:
Clinical risk groups 2010/11
| At risk groups |
Examples (decision based on clinical judgement) |
|
Chronic respiratory disease and asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of inhaled or systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including chronic bronchitis and emphysema; bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung fibrosis, pneumoconiosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) Children who have previously been admitted to hospital for lower respiratory tract disease |
|
Chronic heart disease |
Congenital heart disease Hypertension with cardiac complications Chronic heart failure Individuals requiring regular medication and/or follow-up for ischaemic heart disease |
|
Chronic renal disease |
Chronic renal failure Nephrotic syndrome Renal transplantation |
|
Chronic liver disease |
Cirrhosis Biliary artesia Chronic hepatitis |
|
Chronic neurological disease |
Stroke Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) Clinicians should consider on an individual basis the clinical needs of their patients including individuals with multiple sclerosis and related or similar conditions; or hereditary and degenerative disease of the central nervous system. |
|
Diabetes |
Type 1 diabetes Type 2 diabetes requiring insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs Diet controlled diabetes |