Influenza occurs annually in California, as elsewhere. It exacts a very serious toll in both morbidity and mortality on vulnerable persons-the disease is most severe among the very young and the seniors in the population, as well as among people whose immune systems are compromised. A major source of infections in both acute care and long term care facilities is known to be the health care institutions' own employees and volunteers-the healthcare workers. All major authorities recommend annual vaccination of all health care workers against influenza; the vaccination will save lives in healthcare institutions; not to vaccinate puts your patients directly at risk. It's as simple as that. All healthcare workers should be vaccinated beginning in October through November.

(Updated 2/28/06)
In February 2006, Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued recommendations concerning influenza vaccination of health-care personnel (HCP) in the United States. These recommendations apply to HCP in acute care hospitals, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, physician's offices, urgent care centers, and outpatient clinics, and to persons who provide home health care and emergency medical services. HICPAC and ACIP recommend that all HCP be vaccinated annually against influenza.

For additional information, please visit our Educational and Promotional Resources page. The entire article can be found on #4- Background and General Information, Influenza Vaccination of Health-Care Personnel.

Summary of Recommendations

• Educate HCP regarding benefits of influenza vaccinations and the potential health consequences of influenza illness for themselves and their patients, the epidemiology and modes of transmission, diagnosis, treatment, and nonvaccine infection control strategies, in accordance with their level of responsibility in preventing health-care associated influenza (category 1B).
• Offer influenza vaccine annually to all eligible HCP to protect staff, patients and family members and to decrease HCP absenteeism.
• Provide influenza vaccination to HCP at the work site and at no cost as one component of employee health programs. Use strategies that have been demonstrated to increase influenza vaccine acceptance, including vaccination clinics, mobile carts, vaccination access during all work shifts, and modeling and support by institutional leaders (category 1B).
• Obtain a signed declination from HCP who decline influenza vaccination for reasons other than medical contraindications (category II).
• Monitor HCP influenza vaccination coverage and declinations at regular intervals during influenza season and provide feedback of specific rates to staff and administration (category 1B).
• Use the level of HCP influenza vaccination coverage as one measure of a patient safety quality program (category II).