Web Discussion on Vaccination Prioritization for Pandemic Influenza

Published: November 29, 2007

Colorized transmission electron micrograph of Avian influenza A H5N1 viruses (seen in gold) grown in MDCK cells (seen in green).
(CDC / Courtesy of Cynthia Goldsmith, Jacqueline Katz, and Sherif R. Zaki)

Who should be the first to get a pandemic flu vaccine? People with Web access can participate in an online discussion on this topic. Participants can pose questions on pandemic flu vaccines to public health officials, review the government's 10 pandemic flu vaccination goals, and post comments.

Experts note that worldwide outbreaks of flu—known as pandemics—have occurred three times in the last 100 years. And although experts do not know when the next pandemic will occur, the United States Department of Health and Human Services is in the process of preparing to reduce the impact of a pandemic influenza in the United States. It is anticipated that only limited amounts of influenza vaccine would be available at the start of a pandemic. Thus, plans are needed about how first doses of vaccine will be distributed if there is not enough vaccine for all who want it. Determining priorities for pandemic vaccine is a difficult task.

Public input on pandemic flu vaccination priorities is needed. For three days next week, any interested person with Web access can participate in an online discussion and pose questions to public health officials, review the government's 10 pandemic flu vaccination goals, and post comments.

CDC will help monitor this Web discussion on vaccination prioritization for pandemic influenza. The forum will help generate discussion and provide a way to collect opinions and ideas. The Web discussion (also called a Web dialogue) will take place next Tuesday through Thursday, December 4 – 6. People interested in participating—or simply learning more about pandemic flu plans—are asked to register.

To participate in the dialogue, please:

• Register on the Web dialogue site
• Review the agenda
• Read the background material to prepare for each day's discussion
• Contribute your views to the discussion

Through involvement in this dialogue, participants can become informed about pandemic flu, learn about the many factors involved in distributing limited vaccine, and share conclusions. Participant feedback will be considered, along with other information, as the guidelines for distributing a limited supply of vaccine are refined.

The latest information on pandemic influenza and on avian influenza is available at http://www.pandemicflu.gov.

This public engagement dialogue will be conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association of County and City Health Officials, and the Association of State and Territorial Heath Officials.