More Clinicians Should Get Flu Vaccination, CDC Says

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report estimated that flu vaccination rates among healthcare professionals (HCPs) have stagnated at about 74 percent since 2014, reports Medscape . The rate was particularly low among those working in long-term care settings and settings where vaccination was not required, promoted, or offered on-site. Vaccination rates were highest in workplaces with vaccination requirements, and they can be improved by offering worksite vaccination at low or no cost for one day or by actively promoting vaccination. "Influenza vaccination coverage among healthcare personnel working in long-term care settings ... continues to be consistently lower than that among healthcare personnel working in all other healthcare settings," the authors write. "Influenza vaccination among healthcare personnel in long-term care settings is especially important because influenza vaccine efficacy is generally lowest among seniors, who are at increased risk for severe disease." The researchers suggest deploying workplace vaccination programs that have been successful in increasing coverage in hospital settings, such as vaccination requirements. They also believe use of the CDC's digital campaign and long-term care employers' toolkits could boost influenza vaccine coverage among HCPs.