[The development of vaccination policy]

Abstract

In France, the minister of health is responsible for vaccination policy. Its development is based on the expertise of a Technical Committee on Vaccinations, attached to the High Authority of Health (HAS). The Committee's main missions are to issue recommendations and propose updates to the vaccination calendar. Its composition guarantees multidisciplinary expertise by integrating professionals interested in vaccination who must not have any conflict of interest. A response to referrals, usually from the Directorate-General for Health, is made according to different procedures depending on whether it is proposed to introduce a new vaccination strategy, to determine the place of a vaccine in an existing strategy, or to respond to emergency referrals. The epidemiology of the relevant disease as well as the efficacy and tolerance of vaccines are the essential elements taken into consideration. The production of evidence-based recommendations requires a systematic review of the literature with gradation of the level of evidence. Medico-economic studies are required for the introduction of new vaccine strategies. The draft opinion prepared by a working group is discussed and voted in plenary session. The project can be submitted to public consultation before validation by the college of the HAS. Downstream of this are the Transparency Commission which decides on reimbursement and the Public Health Economic Evaluation Commission which gives an opinion on efficiency which serves as a basis for discussions on price. Links established between these three commissions of the HAS are intended to ensure policy coherence.

Keywords: Evidence based medicine; Health economic evaluation; Médecine guidée par les preuves; Procédures en santé publique; Vaccination; Vaccination-health policy; Vaccine preventable diseases; Évaluation médio-économique-maladies à prévention vaccinale.