Health Behavior Associated With Influenza Vaccination Among Healthcare Workers in Long-Term-Care Facilities

Abstract

This study identifies challenges to and opportunities for improving vaccination rates among HCWs. A message that emphasizes the health benefits of vaccination to staff members, such as including vaccination as part of a staff "wellness" program, may improve the credibility of influenza immunization programs and coverage rates.

Influenza vaccine coverage for healthcare workers in geriatric settings in France

“…This latter statement also does not support the extrapolation of our findings to the whole French geriatric HCW population. However, the three main reasons we found were similar to those reported in previous studies in other countries (17,19,20,23).…”

“…However, several interpretations may attempted: i) positive correlations between occupational groups found in rehabilitation and long-term care settings, together with significantly higher vaccination rates in these settings than in acute-care ones, suggest a "group effect". It has recently been reported that a physician influences vaccination acceptance among other occupational groups in long-term care settings (23). However, it must be noted that, in the present study, the correlation between nurses and nurse assistants was higher than between physicians and other HCW (nurses and nurse assistants).…”

“…This has already been showed in many different wards (17,19,27) including long-term care settings (15,23). The lack of knowledge of nursing staff may be a reason for declining vaccination, which is not a reason found in physician groups (17); no data in the present study can confirm it.…”

“…In Europe, only a few countries are able to measure HCW vaccine coverage (18) and, despite recommendations, vaccination rates vary from 15 to 25% (18,22). In the United States, large variability has recently been reported, ranging from 10% to 75% (17,21,23,24) but the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reports vaccination rates of 38.4% (12) and a survey in a long-term care setting showed a rate of 39% (23). In France, a study based on phone calls supported by the "Groupe d'Etude et d'Information sur la Grippe" reports an annual immunization of 15% among HCW (25).…”

Positive attitudes of French general practitioners towards A/H1N1 influenza-pandemic vaccination: A missed opportunity to increase vaccination uptakes in the general public?

“…In our survey, 70.6% of GPs had received the seasonal influenza vaccine every year in the prior three years and their personal history of seasonal vaccination receipt was strongly related to their acceptability of the A/H1N1 pandemic vaccination with a significant trend towards an exposure-effect relationship. Previous studies conducted among healthcare workers showed a similar relationship between the receipt of influenza vaccine in the previous season and willingness to accept: 1) seasonal influenza vaccine in general practice [27,28], hospitals [29], and long term care facilities [30,31]; 2) pre-pandemic A/H5N1 influenza vaccines in hospitals [22,32]; and 3) A/H1N1 influenza pandemic vaccines in hospitals [22]. In addition, previous receipt of seasonal flu vaccines was associated with willingness to accept unapproved influenza-pandemic vaccination in June 2009 among the general public in the US [14].…”