A successful mandatory influenza vaccination campaign using an innovative electronic tracking system.
BACKGROUND
Although influenza vaccination of healthcare workers reduces influenza-like illness and overall mortality among patients, national rates of vaccination for healthcare providers are unacceptably low. We report the implementation of a new mandatory vaccination policy by means of a streamlined electronic enrollment and vaccination tracking system at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcome of a new mandatory staff influenza vaccination program.


METHODS
A new hospital policy endorsed by all the component NIH institutes and the Clinical Center departments mandated that employees who have patient contact either be vaccinated annually against influenza or sign a declination specifying the reason(s) for refusal. Those who fail to comply would be required to appear before the Medical Executive Committee to explain their rationale. We collected in a database the names of all physician and nonphysician staff who had patient contact. When a staff member either was vaccinated or declined vaccination, a simple system of badge scanning and bar-coded data entry captured essential data. The database was continuously updated, and it provided a list of noncompliant employees with whom to follow up.


RESULTS
By February 12, 2009, all 2,754 identified patient-care employees either were vaccinated or formally declined vaccination. Among those, 2,424 (88%) were vaccinated either at the NIH or elsewhere, 36 (1.3%) reported medical contraindications, and 294 (10.7%) declined vaccination for other reasons. Among the 294 employees without medical contraindications who declined, the most frequent reason given for declination was concern about side effects.


CONCLUSIONS
Implementation of a novel vaccination tracking process and a hospital policy requiring influenza vaccination or declination yielded dramatic improvement in healthcare worker vaccination rates and likely will result in increased patient safety in our hospital.
Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1888, USA.
Tara N
TN
Palmore
J Patrick
JP
Vandersluis
Joan
J
Morris
Angela
A
Michelin
Lisa M
LM
Ruprecht
James M
JM
Schmitt
David K
DK
Henderson
D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037141:Mandatory Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.) / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D014481:United States
D007252:Influenza Vaccines