BRIEF—UK trade group sees problems with new immunization plans

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has expressed significant concern that recommendations set out in the consultation on the Cost-effectiveness Methodology for Immunization Programs and Procurement (CEMIPP) would impact negatively on the health of the nation by making it harder for people to access vaccines on the National Health Service (NHS) in the future.

Dr Paul Catchpole, value and access director at the ABPI, said:"The UK currently has a world-leading immunization program so it is profoundly concerning that proposals to introduce stricter hurdles for one of the most effective public health interventions available to us are even being considered."

Concerns about the methodology used to assess immunization programs were first raised during the appraisal of the vaccine for Meningococcal B.

Four years on, the CEMIPP recommendations, if implemented, will achieve the exact opposite of what more than 800,000 petitioners called for.

“The ABPI welcomes the commitment to a public consultation on the recommendations of the report. We will review the report in detail over the coming days before making a detailed response. It is vital that the views of a wide range of stakeholders are fully considered before a decision is made on whether the recommendations set out in the CEMIPP report should be implemented,” the trade group says.