Results of a National Survey of Infectious Diseases Specialists regarding Influenza Vaccination Programs for Healthcare Workers

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 1063-1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip M. Polgreen ◽  
Edward Septimus ◽  
Thomas R. Talbot ◽  
Susan E. Beekmann ◽  
Charles Helms
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Vaccination Programs

A minority of infectious diseases consultants currently work in healthcare institutions requiring influenza vaccination for healthcare workers, and in approximately half of these institutions, the healthcare workers who refuse vaccination do not face substantial consequences for their refusal. Although true mandatory policies are not common, a majority of infectious diseases consultants support such policies.

Should influenza vaccination be mandatory for healthcare workers?

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 214-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolija Lukich ◽  
Michael Kekewich ◽  
Virginia Roth
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Medical Field ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
The Past ◽  
Immunization Rates ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination ◽  
Personal Interests

Each year, many healthcare organizations deal with low influenza immunization rates among staff. Mandatory influenza vaccination programs may be considered in order to address this issue. These types of programs have caused controversy in the past, as staff has argued that they infringe upon their liberties and right to autonomy. However, if viewed from a public health perspective, mandatory vaccination programs are beneficial for both employees and patients and can be justified. When individuals make the decision to work in the medical field, it is assumed that their values align with those of the organization for which they work. This overrides their right to autonomy, since they are expected to put the safety of their patients ahead of their own personal interests. Although some may argue that receiving a flu shot is unsafe, evidence has demonstrated the opposite, and the minimal discomfort that may result from a vaccine is not enough to negate the responsibilities that healthcare workers have toward the patients they serve.

scholarly journals Immunization among Healthcare Workers in India: A Need or a Want

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-51
Author(s):  
Raja Danasekaran
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
World Health ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Risk Of Exposure ◽  
Health Organization

Immunization is a highly effective way for prevention of some major infectious diseases. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at greater risk of exposure as well as spread of vaccine preventable diseases, as they are in constant contact with patients and infectious materials. Many of these diseases still carry a potential for resurgence and can lead to outbreaks. Hence, vaccination programs among HCWs form an integral part of infection prevention & control practices, thereby protecting the healthcare personnel from infection and protecting the patients from getting infected. [1] Even in countries with specific vaccination programs for HCWs, the coverage remains very low and the majority are susceptible for vaccine preventable diseases. So, it becomes imperative for a developing country like India and other countries in low-resource settings to have a national vaccination plan for HCWs. [Table 1]. shows the list of vaccines recommended for HCWs by World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control and Prevention. [2,3]

scholarly journals A Successful Strategy for Increasing the Influenza Vaccination Rate of Healthcare Workers without a Mandatory Policy Outside of the United States: A Multifaceted Intervention in a Japanese Tertiary Care Center

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1194-1200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hitoshi Honda ◽  
Yumiko Sato ◽  
Akinori Yamazaki ◽  
Simi Padival ◽  
Akira Kumagai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Vaccination Rate ◽  
Multifaceted Intervention ◽  
Tertiary Care Center ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination ◽  
Vaccination Period

Objective.Although mandatory vaccination programs have been effective in improving the vaccination rate among healthcare workers, implementing this type of program can be challenging because of varied reasons for vaccine refusal. The purpose of our study is to measure improvement in the influenza vaccination rate from a multifaceted intervention at a Japanese tertiary care center where implementing a mandatory vaccination program is difficult.Design.Before-and-after trial.Participants and Setting.Healthcare workers at a 550-bed, tertiary care, academic medical center in Sapporo, Japan.Interventions.We performed a multifaceted intervention including (1) use of a declination form, (2) free vaccination, (3) hospital-wide announcements during the vaccination period, (4) prospective audit and real-time telephone interview for healthcare workers who did not receive the vaccine, (5) medical interview with the hospital executive for noncompliant (no vaccine, no declination form) healthcare workers during the vaccination period, and (6) mandatory submission of a vaccination document if vaccinated outside of the study institution.Results.With the new multifaceted intervention, the vaccination rate in the 2012-2013 season increased substantially, up to 97%. This rate is similar to that reported in studies with a mandatory vaccination program. Improved vaccination acceptance, particularly among physicians, likely contributed to the overall increase in the vaccination rate reported in the study.Conclusions.Implementation of comprehensive strategies with strong leadership can lead to substantial improvements in vaccine uptake among healthcare workers even without a mandatory vaccination policy. The concept is especially important for institutions where implementing mandatory vaccination programs is challenging.

scholarly journals Healthcare Workers’ attitudes towards mandatory influenza vaccination: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Corezzi ◽  
M R Gualano ◽  
G Voglino ◽  
E Olivero ◽  
P Rossello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccination Rates ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Coverage Rates ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination

Abstract Background Influenza affects approximately between 5 to 10% of general population every year, leading to 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness, and about 290 000 to 650 000 respiratory deaths. Healthcare Workers (HCWs) play a crucial role in spreading the infection to patients. Although the strong recommendations provided, influenza vaccination coverage rates among HCWs are globally well below the coverage target set by WHO. The aim of this study is to assess attitudes towards mandatory influenza vaccination programs among HCWs, in order to make a quantitative synthesis of the phenomenon. Methods The present study systematically reviewed published cross-sectional studies investigating attitudes towards compulsory influenza vaccination in Healthcare Workers. PubMed and Scopus scientific databases were searched and 4,198 results were returned. Of these, 23 met the inclusion criteria for the review and 13 were eligible for the meta-analyses. PRISMA statements were followed. Results Thirteen studies were conducted in North America, 4 were conducted in Europe, 3 in Asia, 2 were performed in Australia and one study collected data both from Europe and Asia. According to the assessed studies, the percentage of agreement ranged from 44% to 95% for different compulsory vaccination programs. A combined prevalence of 59.8% (95%CI 50.1-68.8) was found in the meta-analysis. Having been vaccinated against influenza in the previous year increases the likelihood (OR 4.1; 95%CI 2.8-6.1) of being in favour of mandatory vaccination policies. Conclusions Compulsory influenza vaccination programs are generally accepted by the majority of health professionals, especially by those who have already been vaccinated previously. These results could be important to improve European vaccination strategies, in order to increase influenza vaccination rates among Healthcare Workers. Key messages Mandatory influenza vaccination programs are accepted by the majority of Healthcare Workers. Having been previously vaccinated against influenza increases the likelihood of being in favor of a mandatory vaccination policy.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccination Perception and Attitude among Healthcare Workers in Egypt

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110133
Author(s):  
Samar Fares ◽  
Merihan M. Elmnyer ◽  
Shimaa Sabry Mohamed ◽  
Radwa Elsayed
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
P Value ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, especially the frontline worriers. To get shielded through this war, the world is racing to reach and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination hesitancy is one of the significant obstacles to global health. Objectives This study aimed to assess the perception and attitude of healthcare workers in Egypt toward COVID-19 vaccines, acknowledge the determinants of their attitude, and the factors that could increase the acceptance of the vaccine. Methods an observational web-based anonymous survey was conducted on 385 Egyptian healthcare workers in different governorates. The questionnaire-based on Vaccine Hesitancy Survey Questions of the World Health Organization was available in Arabic and English languages and was tested for reliability. Results Regarding vaccination decision, 51% of the participants were undecided, 28% refused, and 21% accepted vaccination. Reasons for vaccine acceptance mainly were risks of COVID-19 (93%), safety (57.5%), and effectiveness (56.25%) of the vaccine. Simultaneously, the reasons for vaccine hesitancy were the absence of enough clinical trials (92.4%) and fear of side effects of the vaccine (91.4%). The leading factor that could increase vaccination acceptance among the participants was to get sufficient and accurate information about the available vaccines. The participants revealed a high mean level of concern for COVID-19 vaccines’ safety (3.8 of 5) that differs significantly among the different study groups ( P-value .002). Conclusion Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, only approximately 21% of Egyptian healthcare workers in our study accepted the COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy represents a major barrier to implementing vaccination programs.

scholarly journals Healthcare Workers’ (HCWs) attitudes towards mandatory influenza vaccination: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Vaccine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 901-914
Author(s):  
Maria Rosaria Gualano ◽  
Alessio Corradi ◽  
Gianluca Voglino ◽  
Dario Catozzi ◽  
Elena Olivero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Meta Analysis
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