DARM DA study exercise group 4

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Scope

Purpose

The purpose of this decision analysis study is to examine if it would have been possible to prevent the swine flu epidemic solely by paying better attention to hygiene and using common practices when it comes to treating flu. The objective would have been to control the epidemic with these means until the swine flu vaccine would have been properly tested and researched with the same criteria that apply to other vaccines so that potential adverse effects would have been detected.

Boundaries

This decision analysis is restricted to deal with decision making in Finland concerning which measures to take to prevent the pandemic from spreading in Finland. The group we are concentrating on is the whole Finnish population.

This decision making took place in 2009 when it became apparent that the swine flu would eventually reach also Finland. At this time governments worldwide began investigating possible approaches to prevent and restrict the spreading of the disease and to minimize the number of deaths.

Scenarios/Indicators

Vaccination

1. • Vaccination program of the whole population by Public Health Care system (requirements: money, time, personnel)
   • Prevention of increase in the prevalence of the swine flu is probable
   • Possible side effects of the vaccination

No vaccination

1. • Development and launching of a national hygiene program, special focus on places where diseases often first appear and start to spread from; hospitals, military bases, schools, kindergartens, work places (requirements: money, time, personnel)
   • Slight increase in the prevalence of swine flu is probable. The prevalence of swine flu is expected to be significantly lower with hygiene campaign than without any actions.
   • New decision point after receiving study results made according to protocol about Pandemrix.
   1. • Examine the effects of the performed hygiene campaign on the occurrence of swine flu
      • Is there still need for vaccinations or was the hygiene campaign efficient enough on its own?
      • If there is a need for vaccinations, is Pandemrix safe enough based on the new knowledge of adverse effects?

Intended users

This study is directed to the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Participants

This study is initiated by Sallamari Tynkkynen and Kati Iso-Markku, first year students of Master’s Degree Program in General Toxicology and Environmental Health Risk Assessment in the University of Eastern Finland. All the users of Opasnet are free to participate in this open assessment.

Definition

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Decision variables

1. Vaccination
   • decision to vaccinate the whole population with Pandemrix as soon as possible, starting from risk groups.

1. No vaccination
   • decision not to vaccinate.
   • implementation of new hygiene protocols:
   1. • national plan for improving hygienic practices.
      • informing general public about implementation of new hygienic practices.
      • demanding proper testing and research for the vaccine.

1. Vaccination
   • new decision after proper studies according to protocol.

1. No vaccination
   • new decision after proper studies according to protocol.

Value variables

   * Value variables: value judgements (usually about indicators).

Other variables

   * Other variables: any variables that link to the causal network and are within the boundaries of the assessment.

Analyses

   * Analyses: statistical and other analyses that contain two or more variables, e.g. optimizing.

Result

   * Results of indicators and assessment-specific analyses. 

Conclusions

   * Conclusions are based on the results, given the scope.