Guidelines in disrepute: a case study of influenza vaccination of healthcare workers

Abstract

Conclusion:We argue that evidenceguideline gaps may arise because of a range of problems with the nature of the evidence used to justify the guidelines and the way in which that evidence is applied and interpreted. We suggest that these problems may bring potentially useful guidelines into disrepute.

Forgotten but not gone

“…The existence of national and state-level policies that support young people's access to condoms is a key indicator in the UNAIDS 2004 Guide to Monitoring and Evaluating National HIV/AIDS Prevention Programmes for Young People, 11 and Queensland Health's HIV/AIDS Strategy document in 1999 12 appropriately identified condom access in remote communities as a key priority. However, a policy to support condom access for remote-living young people in Queensland has been conspicuous by its absence in the decade since.…”

“…Although short‐lived in most people's memories, Australia has had some interesting outbreaks of various diseases, and this Journal has consistently published papers and research letters about these – 10 in 2012 (not including four in this issue), 10 in 2011 and 11 in 2010. Our 2012 papers have been about papillomavirus, 4 tuberculosis, 5 chlamydia, 6 hepatitis B, 7 pandemic influenza, 8 pertussis, 9 Ross River virus, 10 ‘flu immunisation 11 and immunisation in general 12,13 . They cover many areas of understanding, from analysis of outbreaks, thinking about legal requirements, techniques for enhancing surveillance, interesting case studies and outbreak reports, and demonstrate a huge range of investigative and analytical techniques.…”