title: I strong administrative buy-in, firm mandates can push flu vaccination rates up to more than 99% among health care workers.
abstract: While flu vaccination rates are inching up among health care workers, there is still room for improvement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that slightly more than 75% of health care workers received the flu vaccination during the 2013-14 season--an increase of roughly 3% over the 2012-13 season. However, some hospitals have been able to achieve vaccination rates in excess of 99%. The apparent key to these efforts is a firm mandate that all personnel receive a flu shot as a condition of employment. There is always pushback to such policies, but hospitals report that most personnel eventually come around. While flu vaccination rates are on the increase among health, care personnel, data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) note that rates vary widely from state to state. For example, the vaccination rate for health care workers in New Jersey stood at just 62% last year. In contrast, more than 95% of health care workers in Maryland received the shot during the 2013-14 flu season. Both Loyola University Medical Center and Henry Ford Hospital have been able to boost flu vaccination rates among their health care workers to more than 99% with the implementation of policies that require flu shots as a condition of employment. Experts say successful flu vaccination campaigns require strong administration buy-in and physician leadership.
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines