Even though the seasonal flu vaccination rate among healthcare workers for 2009-10 has been higher than any previous flu season, H1N1 vaccination coverage among this population was still below half, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A survey using a nationally representative sample of 1,417 healthcare personnel in January 2010 showed seasonal flu vaccination was 62%, but vaccination rates for the H1N1 strain—the deadly virus that emerged a year ago this month—was only 37%.
There was almost a threefold higher likelihood of workers being vaccinated in settings where employers required the vaccine, and nearly a twofold higher rate in settings where employers recommended receiving the vaccine, said Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in a news conference held Thursday. “This shows that it's a good way to make sure your healthcare workers are protected,” Shuchat said, adding that it also highlights that vaccination is a patient-safety issue.
According to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for April 2, seasonal flu vaccination coverage was substantially higher (71.7%) among healthcare personnel working in hospitals than those working in long-term-care facilities (54%) or other settings (48.4%). Similarly, for the H1N1 vaccine, vaccination coverage was higher for those healthcare workers in hospitals (50.6%) than in outpatient clinics (39.2%) or long-term-care facilities (20.1%).
“I hope with this renewed attention and interest and awareness that we can do a lot better in the years ahead,” Shuchat said during the question-and-answer period. “It's clear in the research that a systematic policy can make a big difference in vaccination.”
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