How effective would antiviral vaccination and antiviral drug prevention and treatment strategies be for reducing the impact of the next influenza pandemic?

ABSTRACT

This is a Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report on the potential effectiveness of antiviral vaccination and antiviral drug prevention and treatment for reducing the impact of an influenza pandemic. An influenza pandemic seems inevitable, but it is not known whether this will be caused by H5N1 or another virus or how severe it will be. Until the actual emergence of the influenza virus strain responsible for an influenza pandemic, there is no direct evidence of the effectiveness of vaccine and antiviral drug prevention and treatment strategies for lowering mortality and morbidity, or for containing or delaying the spread, of an influenza pandemic. This HEN synthesis report is a summary of existing information (including but not limited to WHO policy documents) and evidence related to influenza pandemics that might be useful to policy-makers. The list of references includes links to several policy documents for further details. HEN, initiated and coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, is an information service for public health and health care decision-makers in the WHO European Region. Other interested parties might also benefit from HEN.