Overview of the influenza vaccination activities and legal frameworks in 26 Swiss cantons during the influenza season 2019/20

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 40; no. 12; pp. 1702 - 1706
• Main Authors: Ammeter, Tamara, Lang, Phung, Czock, Astrid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 15.03.2022; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Chronic illnesses; Coronaviruses; COVID-19 vaccines; Drug stores; Epidemics; Health care; Humans; Immunization; Influenza; Influenza, Human - prevention & control; Linguistics; Nurses; Pandemics; Pharmacy; Policy; Population; Professionals; Public health; Questionnaires; Seasons; Surveys and Questionnaires; Switzerland; Vaccination; Switzerland; Policy; Switzerland; Influenza; Vaccination; Pharmacy
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.02.009

•First in-depth inventory of cantonal health activities and legal framework for influenza vaccination.•French/Italian-speaking cantons have 1.5 more activities regarding influenza vaccination than German-speaking.•Most cantons permit pharmacists to vaccinate healthy adults or adults without vaccination risk.•Most cantons allow nurses to vaccinate, but only in delegation of a doctor.•Cantons agree to authorize pharmacists to vaccinate, but few agree to include chronic patients. In Switzerland, the implementation of national health and prevention strategies is regulated at the cantonal level. To date, no in-depth inventory outlining the cantonal health activities and legal frameworks for influenza vaccination exists. To assess the activities and legal frameworks for influenza vaccination during the 2019/20 season across all 26 Swiss cantons. Survey using a structured closed-ended questionnaire. The activities’ range across the cantons is broad from 11 activities in the canton Vaud to one in cantons Grisons and Jura. French/Italian-speaking cantons conduct 1.5 times more influenza vaccination activities on average than the German-speaking cantons. 23 of 26 cantons authorize influenza vaccination by pharmacists. All cantons allow nurses to vaccinate under the responsibility of a doctor. Influenza vaccination activities and vaccination-specific legal frameworks vary by canton and linguistic regions. Future vaccination strategies should consider concerted approaches to optimize their successful implementation.