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Flu vaccination rate among HCWs during 2015-2016 similar to previous season
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Seventy-nine percent of health care personnel in the United States reported receiving an influenza vaccination during the 2015-2016 season, similar to the coverage reported for 2014-2015, according to the results of an opt-in internet survey conducted by the CDC.
“As in previous influenza seasons, higher influenza vaccination coverage among health care personnel was associated with employer vaccination requirements and with access to vaccination at the workplace at no cost, highlighting the value of vaccination requirements and access to influenza vaccination at the worksite as effective tools for increasing overall coverage,” Carla L. Black, PhD, epidemiologist at the CDC, and colleagues wrote in MMWR.
To reduce influenza-related morbidity and mortality in health care settings, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends annual influenza vaccination for all health care personnel. In 2014-2015, 77.3% of health care personnel reported receiving an influenza vaccination. The current CDC survey aimed to estimate vaccination rates for the 2015-2016 season.
Survey participants were recruited from two opt-in internet sources — Medscape and general population internet panels operated by Survey Sampling International. Of 2,258 health care personnel who completed the survey and submitted eligible responses, 79% reported having received an influenza vaccination during the 2015-2016 season.
As in previous years, coverage was higher among health care personnel working in hospitals (91.2%) than among those working in ambulatory (79.8%) and long-term care (69.2%) settings, though coverage in long-term care settings increased 5.3 percentage points compared with 2014-2015. Coverage was highest among physicians (95.6%) and lowest among assistants and aides (64.1%).
Overall, coverage was highest (96.5%) among health care personnel who were required by their employers to be vaccinated. Vaccination coverage continued to be low (44.9%) among health care personnel working in settings where vaccination was not required, promoted or offered onsite.
“In the absence of vaccination requirements, expanding the number of health care locations offering vaccination onsite, over multiple days, and at no cost might help sustain and improve influenza vaccination coverage among health care personnel, including in long-term care settings,” researchers concluded. – by Sarah Kennedy
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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