Influenza vaccination of health care workers in long-term-care hospitals reduces the mortality of elderly patients.
Vaccination of health care workers (HCWs) is recommended as a strategy for preventing influenza in elderly patients in long-term care. However, there have been no controlled studies to show whether this approach is effective. During the winter of 1994-1995, 1059 patients in 12 geriatric medical long-term-care sites, randomized for vaccination of HCWs, were studied. In hospitals where HCWs were offered vaccination, 653 (61%) of 1078 were vaccinated. Vaccination of HCWs was associated with reductions in total patient mortality from 17% to 10% (odds ratio [OR], 0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-0.80) and in influenza-like illness (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.34-0.94). Vaccination of patients was not associated with significant effects on mortality (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.81-1.64). Results of this study support recommendations for vaccination against influenza of HCWs in long-term geriatric care. Vaccination of frail elderly long-term-care patients may not give clinically worthwhile benefits.
Potter
J
J
Division of Virology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Stott
D J
DJ
Roberts
M A
MA
Elder
A G
AG
O'Donnell
B
B
Knight
P V
PV
Carman
W F
WF
D000368:Aged; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006763:Hospitals, Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000401:mortality; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012606:Scotland; D014611:Vaccination
D007252:Influenza Vaccines