# 2925
Mandating flu shots for Health Care workers is a difficult decision, one which I’ve written on several times in the past. You’ll find these earlier blogs about this ongoing controversy.
UK: Unvaccinated Health Care Workers Spread Flu
Ongoing Debate: Mandatory Flu Shots For Health Care Workers?
APIC Seeking Mandatory Flu Shot For HCWs
Personally, I get a flu shot every year, and I believe all HCWs (Health Care Workers) should do so as well.
I’m not completely comfortable with the idea that flu shots be mandated – but given the low compliance rate when flu shots are voluntary (about 40%), and the potential harm unvaccinated HCWs pose to patients and co-workers – I accept that this is a policy more and more facilities are going to be moving towards.
Today we get a report from the Pediatric Supersite on a recent presentation given at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America; March 19-22, 2009; San Francisco.
BJC Heathcare is comprised of 13 hospitals and multiple community health locations in and around St. Louis Missouri.
It is, quite frankly, a huge operation.
I actually know this facility, and only have good things to say about it. I’m not at all surprised to learn that they would be on the leading edge of this movement.
Mandatory flu vaccination program achieved almost total compliance
A mandatory influenza vaccination campaign at BJC HealthCare achieved a 98.4% compliance rate, according to findings presented at The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America’s 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting held in San Diego.
Hillary Babcock, MD, MPH, of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. presented the results.
In October 2008, influenza vaccination was made a condition of employment for the 25,982 active employees. Medical or religious exemptions were allowed, as were requests for temporary postponement of vaccination.
Eleven employees were either not vaccinated or exempt for other reasons, 90 employees received religious exemptions and 321 employees received medical exemptions, resulting in the vaccination of 25,560 employees.
“Employees who had neither been vaccinated nor received an exemption by Dec. 15, 2008 had their employment suspended for 30 days,” Babcock said. “Those who were not vaccinated by Jan. 15, 2009 were terminated.” Eight employees refused vaccination and were terminated.
“Many of the exemption requests we received were based on misinformation, leading us to conclude that better communication may be helpful in instituting vaccination campaigns,” Babcock said. “We also believe that a standardized medical exemption form could simplify the request and review process.” – by Rob Volansky
It is, admittedly, a tough stance.
Get vaccinated, or look for other employment.
But given the recent stance by APIC (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology), and the recent successes at BJC and other health care facilities mandating flu shots, the number of facilities imposing this rule is only likely to increase.
