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Strategies to address poor influenza vaccine compliance in healthcare workers
Sadlier, C Carr, A Kelly, S Bergin, C
Sadlier, C
Carr, A
Kelly, S
Bergin, C
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Date
2015-05
Date Submitted
Keywords
INFLUENZA
IMMUNISATION
IMMUNISATION
Other Subjects
HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
COMPLIANCE
COMPLIANCE
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Start Date
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Adobe PDF, 5.28 KB
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Abstract
Influenza vaccines are safe and have the potential to prevent significant morbidity and mortality 1 . Healthcare Workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of influenza infection 2 . There are many reports of influenza outbreaks where unvaccinated HCWs have infected patients and facilitated onward spread of infection 3,4 . Vaccinating HCWs reduces influenza-related morbidity and mortality in vaccine recipients and in high-risk patients. Another benefit is reduction of staff illness and absenteeism during the influenza period 5 . Despite longstanding recommendation for annual influenza vaccine in HCWs, uptake remains poor (17% across acute hospitals in Ireland in 2012-2013) 6 . A dedicated vaccine-unit was established in the department of GU medicine and Infectious Diseases (GUIDE) St Jamesâ s Hospital, Dublin in 2002 to address poor vaccine uptake in attending HIV-infected patients. Targeted interventions including individualised vaccine passports, SMS text reminders along with patient education have facilitated improvement in vaccine coverage (influenza vaccine coverage >90% achieved in attending HIV-infected cohort (n~2000 in 2013-2014). Despite successes of the outpatient vaccine programme, influenza vaccine uptake in HCWs in GUIDE in 2011-2012 was only 52% (31/60). A staff survey was undertaken in April 2012 to investigate reasons for poor vaccine uptake. Here we report results of the survey and describe interventions employed to improve vaccine uptake
Language
en