ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL UNIVERSAL VACCINATION PROGRAM

The collaborative efforts of healthcare providers, governmental policy and law makers and the public are often needed to provide the pressur e necessary to establish a national universal sal vaccination programm e. Key initiatives for those beginning to establish such a programme a re the following: secure a scientific consensus or base of support; cl arify relevance of the subject to all concerned; increase awareness of everyone (providers and consumers); recruit and involve influential p eople (angels) for support; seek out agendas within which to review, t he topic; generate cost-benefit data; encourage a consensus to be reac hed; identify legislative pathways to be used; convince politicians of the value of such a programme; request budgeting and funding; and, fi nally, follow up with surveillance studies to demonstrate the benefits of the programme.