No excuses for failing to get influenza vaccine
CDC reports supply is higher than ever
With the supply of influenza vaccine at its highest level ever, public health officials have turned their attention to raising the disappointingly low vaccination rates of health care workers and other targeted groups. Overall, just 38% of health care workers receive the annual flu vaccine, according to the 2000 National Health Interview Survey.1
Campaigns to immunize health care workers should begin in October and place a priority on workers who care for high-risk patients — those who are 65 or older, who have chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, or who are immune-compromised, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.
However, immunization efforts should continue throughout the flu season, to December and beyond, and hospitals should seek widespread coverage of health care workers, says Carolyn Bridges, MD, medical epidemiologist in the CDC’s influenza branch. This year, manufacturers expect to provide more than 90 million doses of influenza vaccine without the substantial delays that have occurred in prior years.
"Not only are health care workers probably exposed more to people who have influenza, they also have the potential to transmit influenza to people who could get very sick if they get flu," Bridges says. The CDC estimates that influenza leads to more than 110,000 additional hospitalizations each year. In addition to education, she suggests "taking the vaccine to the workers at every opportunity and making it convenient."
In a recently released document, Detection and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Acute Care Facilities, the CDC offers strategies for improving vaccination rates of health care workers:
• Use mobile carts to bring the vaccine to workers in the units, at conferences and meetings, or even in the lunch area.
• Provide educational sessions on influenza and offer the vaccine at the end of each session.
• Report vaccination levels by unit and reward and/or recognize units that show significant improvement or have the highest rates.
• Provide reminders with the time and date for vaccination, especially targeting employees with close patient contact.
Last year’s flu season was categorized as mild to moderate, with a peak in mid-to-late February. It was the second year of a relatively mild flu season. But CDC officials cautioned that it isn’t possible to predict how severe the flu will be this season. "People do tend to become more complacent when you’ve had a couple of mild years," says Lynnette Brammer, MPH, an epidemiologist in the influenza branch. "We can’t count on that to hold out."
This year’s vaccine includes A/Moscow/10/99 (H3N2)-like, A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)-like, and B/Hong Kong/330/2001-like antigens, the CDC reported.
(Editor’s note: More information on influenza as well as periodic updates are available at www.cdc.gov/nip/flu. Detection and Control of Influenza Out-breaks in Acute Care Facilities is available at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/INFECT/FluBook2001.pdf. Basic flu information useful for patient education is available at www.cdc.gov/nip/Flu/Public.htm.)
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention and control of influenza: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR 2002; 51 (RR03):1-31.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Detection and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Acute Care Facilities. September 2001; Atlanta.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Update: Influenza activity —- United States and worldwide, 2001-02 season, and composition of the 2002-03 influenza vaccine. MMWR 2002; 51(23):503-506.
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