How to improve communication on vaccine issues at the national level? INFOVAC-PED: an example from Switzerland.

For physicians in private practice, rapid access to relevant and up-to-date objective information is required to better meet their clients' concerns on vaccine-related issues. To meet this need, INFOVAC-PED, an academic network of on call pediatric infectious diseases experts who can be reached free of charge at a central e-mail address, now answers Swiss physicians' questions within 24-48h. INFOVAC-PED also distributes monthly bulletins including news from the Federal Office of Public Health, vaccine producers, literature survey, and answers to most frequently asked questions. The rapid success of this novel initiative underlines the need to better support front line physicians.