Influenza and Up-to-Date COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Health Care Personnel — National Healthcare Safety Network, United States, 2022–23 Influenza Season

Abstract

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that health care personnel (HCP) receive an annual influenza vaccine and that everyone aged ≥6 months stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccination. Health care facilities report vaccination of HCP against influenza and COVID-19 to CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). During January-June 2023, NHSN defined up-todate COVID-19 vaccination as receipt of a bivalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccine dose or completion of a primary series within the preceding 2 months. This analysis describes influenza and up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination coverage among HCP working in acute care hospitals and nursing homes during the 2022-23 influenza season (October 1, 2022-March 31, 2023). Influenza vaccination coverage was 81.0% among HCP at acute care hospitals and 47.1% among those working at nursing homes. Up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination coverage was 17.2% among HCP working at acute care hospitals and 22.8% among those working at nursing homes. There is a need to promote evidence-based strategies to improve vaccination coverage among HCP. Tailored strategies might also be useful to reach all HCP with recommended vaccines and protect them and their patients from vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases.

Sex and gender differences in adverse events following receipt of influenza and COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers

“…In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends annual influenza vaccination for anyone aged 6 months or older[33]. Among HCWs, many employment or state laws require receipt of annual influenza vaccination to slow disease transmission between providers and patients[34].…”

“…Similarly, male healthcare workers (HCWs) have also been found to have lower COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy with higher vaccine uptake than women [29][30][31][32]. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends annual influenza vaccination for anyone aged 6 months or older [33]. Among HCWs, many employment or state laws require receipt of annual influenza vaccination to slow disease transmission between providers and patients [34].…”

Characterizing healthcare personnel attitudes toward receipt of a voluntary bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine during a COVID-19 outbreak at a behavioral health hospital in Connecticut

“…In HCP working in acute care hospitals and nursing homes for the 2022–2023 season, just 17% and 23% were up to date with COVID-19 vaccination respectively, rates well below those of influenza vaccination. 1 Prior studies have attempted to understand the reasons for poor uptake in the community, which have included a lack of awareness of eligibility and availability, as well as perceptions of sufficient immunity pre-vaccination. 2 In this cross-sectional survey study, we investigated attitudes toward the bivalent booster uptake in a behavioral health hospital shortly after an outbreak of COVID-19 where the booster dose was offered to all HCPs.…”

Susceptibility of healthcare personnel with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) hybrid immunity to XBB lineage reinfection

“…Nevertheless, HCP uptake of the vaccine has remained low, and specific data on reinfection risks in previously SARS-CoV-2–infected HCP may promote vaccine acceptance in this group. 5,6…”

“…In the present study, we assessed the occurrence of XBB reinfection in a previously described longitudinal cohort of HCP who had completed at least 2 doses of the monovalent vaccine and had at least 1 previous SARS-CoV-2 infection before the emergence of the omicron XBB variant. 2,6,7 HCP with multiple infections were stratified according to the most recent illness. Using NYC Department of Health surveillance data and timing of infection to estimate variant status, we compared these rates between prior infection variant groups.…”