Time to recommend pneumococcal vaccination for all children in Europe: experience in France.
The French decision-making processes for recommendation and introduction of infant vaccination with Prevenar reflect a public health-based dialogue between the Direction Générale de la Santé and Wyeth (Paris-La Défense, France) nurtured by open and ongoing exchanges. Three surveillance programmes are being discussed: (1) to ascertain the future impact of large-scale Prevenar vaccination on invasive pneumococcal disease incidence, (2) to follow the evolution and carriage of pneumococcus and (3) to look at the possibilities to establish an epidemiological surveillance and active "vaccinovigilance" in France (to estimate the number of adverse events that might be expected among the population targeted by the vaccination recommendation).


CONCLUSIONS
in this way, the Direction Générale de la Santé and Wyeth are working towards the implementation of a broad-scale vaccine introduction.
Fletcher
Mark A
MA
International Scientific Affairs, Wyeth Vaccines Research, Puteaux-Paris La Défense, France. fletchm@wyeth.com
Tetelboum
Robert
R
Fritzell
Bernard
B
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines