Vaccination against pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009: target groups and prioritisation

Prompted in part by a report produced by the Health Council of the Netherlands (published 8 May 2009), the Minister of Health has ordered the procurement of vaccines against influenza A/H1N1. These vaccines can be used to counter the pandemic as soon as they become available in the autumn of this year. In anticipation of the delivery of the vaccines, on 20 July 2009 the Minister requested the Health Council of the Netherlands and the RIVM Centre for Infectious Disease Control to produce a joint report offering advice on the most effective use of the vaccines, identifying the target groups and the order of priority for vaccination in the event of any shortage. The resulting report is available here .