title: Student vaccination requirements of U.S. health professional schools: a national survey.
abstract: To help protect healthcare personnel (HCP) from infection and to prevent possible disease transmission to their patients, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends vaccination of all HCP, including students. We sought to gather information on the vaccination policies of U.S. health professional (i.e., non-physician HCP) programs and to compare those requirements to current ACIP recommendations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered, internet-based survey sent to 2,779 U.S. health professional programs was used to collect data on program demographics; student vaccination requirements; deadlines for adherence, consequences for non-adherence, and permitted exemptions to these requirements; and factors influencing the program's vaccination policy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 75%. Among 2,077 responding programs, 19% required all ACIP-recommended vaccines for HCP--87% required measles, mumps, and rubella; 84% required hepatitis B; 75% required varicella; 48% required tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap); and 32% required influenza. Programs reviewing requirements at least annually and those that reported the ACIP influenced requirements were significantly more likely to require varicella, Tdap, and influenza vaccine. During the 2009-2010 influenza season, only 59% of programs offered influenza vaccine to students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health professional schools should update their vaccination requirements annually to be consistent with ACIP recommendations.
authors.affiliation: California Emerging Infections Program, 360 22nd St. Suite 750, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. Tel 510-350-3370, fax 510-451-3210. tlibby@ceip.us.
authors.forename: Tanya E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Libby
authors.forename: Megan C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lindley
authors.forename: Faruque
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grabowsky
authors.forename: Raymond A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Strikas
mesh_terms: D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient / Q000517:prevention & control; D037141:Mandatory Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016134:Organizational Policy; D012576:Schools, Health Occupations / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013333:Student Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data