Health care workers target of flu shot push

Supply disruptions in past years have derailed efforts to immunize this group, but a prediction of ample vaccine is getting them back on track.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. Aug. 7, 2006.

Because more flu vaccine than ever before is expected this season, activities to increase the number of health care workers who receive it are being dusted off and put in motion.

American Medical Association policy states that hospitals and skilled nursing facilities should have a system for measuring and maximizing the number of health care workers who receive the vaccine annually. The AMA is planning to restart its campaign -- put aside in the fall of 2004 because of severe supply shortfalls -- targeting this group. Health care workers will also be among those targeted by the National Influenza Vaccine Summit, which is co-sponsored by the Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"There are so many reasons why targeting this group makes sense," said Raymond Strikas, MD, seasonal and pandemic influenza coordinator for the Dept. of Health and Human Services' National Vaccine Program Office.

Also, to supplement February recommendations from the CDC's Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices aimed at health workers, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations last month issued new standards. These require hospitals and long-term care facilities to offer the flu shot to employees and volunteers with close patient contact as of Jan. 1, 2007.

Health professionals have long been a focus of vaccination efforts but have also traditionally had a low immunization rate -- hovering around 40%. Experts say that while they comprise one of the smaller segments prioritized to receive vaccine, health professionals are particularly important because they can transmit the virus to patients.