title: Mandatory influenza vaccination for health care workers as the new standard of care: a matter of patient safety and nonmaleficent practice.
abstract: A growing body of literature defends the efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccination for health care workers in reducing the mortality of hospitalized patients. I review the evidence concerning influenza vaccination, concluding that universal vaccination of health care workers against influenza should be considered standard patient care and that nonvaccination represents maleficent care. I further argue that the ethical responsibility to ensure universal vaccination of staff against seasonal influenza lies not only with individual health care providers but with each individual health care institution.
authors: Nicolas Cortes-Penfield is with Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Cortes-Penfield
mesh_terms: D006282:Health Personnel / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient / Q000941:ethics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D037141:Mandatory Programs / Q000941:ethics; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines