Reducing Risk of Influenza in Hospitals: Improving Vaccination Rates Among Health Care Workers

Vaccination of health care workers is widely regarded as an effective way to prevent spread of the influenza virus in hospitals and to enhance patient safety.  Little is known about the prevalence of efforts to promote health worker vaccination or about the scope of activity entailed for a hospital to administer an annual employee vaccination program.  Common concerns about vaccination efforts include: costs associated with implementing vaccination programs, potential mismatch of annually-developed vaccines, and adequacy of supply.

In early 2006, HRET will study current perceptions and practices in health care worker vaccination among hospital administration.  The project will:

  • Examine current perceptions of the value of vaccinating health care workers.
  • Identify organizational and systemic barriers to implementing vaccination programs.
  • Detail financial and human resources required for vaccinating health care workers.
  • Survey currently existing vaccination policies.

Survey and interview findings will outline institutional barriers to vaccination and recommend action steps for the 2006-2007 flu season.

Resources

APIC Position Paper: Improving Health Care Worker Influenza Immunization Rates
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, 2004.

An Influenza Prevention Campaign: The Employee Perspective
Ludwig-Beymer P, Gerc SC. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 2002.

Avian Influenza Professional Guidance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005.

Comments on JCAHO Proposed Standard for Immunization of Staff, Students, Volunteers, and Licensed Independent Practitioners against Influenza
American Hospital Association, 2006.

Improving Influenza Vaccination Rates in Health Care Workers: Strategies to Increase Protection for Workers and Patients
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, 2004.

Infection Control
Materials Management, 2005.

Influenza Vaccination of Health-Care Personnel: Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2006.

Interim Recommendations for Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities Caring for Patients with Known or Suspected Avian Influenza
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004.

Interventions to Increase Influenza Vaccination of Health-Care Workers-California and Minnesota
Kimura AC, Higa JI, et al. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2005.

PandemicFlu.gov: The official U.S. government Web site for information on pandemic flu and avian influenza
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2005.

Policies and Practices for Improving Influenza Immunization Rates Among Healthcare Workers
Goldstein AO, Kincade JE, et al. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2004.

Preventing Nosocomial Influenza by Improving the Vaccine Acceptance Rate of Clinicians
Salgado CD, Giannetta ET, et al. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2004.

Prevention and Control of Influenza: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2005.

SHEA Position Paper: Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Workers and Vaccine Allocation for Healthcare Workers During Vaccine Shortages
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, 2005.