Mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination of health care workers: a way forward to improving influenza vaccination rates
Roy Chean A , John K. Ferguson B C and Rhonda L. Stuart D E FA Department Microbiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, 300 Grattan Street, Parkville, Vic. 3050, Australia.
B John Hunter Hospital, 2 Lookout Road, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia.
C University of Newcastle, Universtiy Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
D Monash Infectious Diseases, Monash Health, 246 Clayton Road, Vic. 3168, Australia.
E Department Medicine, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Vic. 3800, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: Rhonda.stuart@monashhealth.org
Healthcare Infection 19(2) 42-44 https://doi.org/10.1071/HI13041
Submitted: 21 October 2013 Accepted: 3 December 2013 Published: 8 January 2014
Journal Compilation © Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control 2014
Abstract
Vaccine-preventable diseases cause significant mortality and morbidity. Immunisation of healthcare workers (HCW) plays a significant role in preventing nosocomial transmission in healthcare settings. Non-immune HCW put themselves, their contacts and patients at risk of preventable diseases. Achieving 100% protection for HCW and patients should be an achievable target; however, voluntary vaccination programs fail to achieve this rate of protection. This is true in the case of influenza, which contributes to the highest mortality and morbidity of any vaccine-preventable disease. Despite available safe, effective vaccines for seasonal influenza and recommendations by local and international authoritative bodies, the annual influenza vaccination rates amongst HCW remain disappointingly low despite recommendations by local and international authoritative bodies. Voluntary strategies of increasing access, offers of free vaccines, education, and highly visible publicity campaigns have had limited success. In the US, more innovative ideas have been proposed to complement these steps. We discuss such strategies including mandatory influenza vaccination and its possible implementation.
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