Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Mar;31(3):233-40.
doi: 10.1086/650449.

Influenza vaccination among healthcare workers: ten-year experience of a large healthcare organization

M Cristina Ajenjo  1 , Keith F Woeltje, Hilary M Babcock, Nancy Gemeinhart, Marilyn Jones, Victoria J Fraser
Affiliations

Influenza vaccination among healthcare workers: ten-year experience of a large healthcare organization

M Cristina Ajenjo et al. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2010 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: To describe the results of different measures implemented to improve adherence to the healthcare worker (HCW) influenza immunization program at BJC HealthCare during the period from 1997 through 2007.

Design: Descriptive retrospective study.

Setting: BJC HealthCare, a 13-hospital nonprofit healthcare organization in the Midwest.

Methods: We reviewed and analyzed HCW influenza vaccination data from all BJC HealthCare Occupational Health Services and hospitals during the period from 1997 through 2007. Occupational health staff, infection prevention personnel, and key influenza vaccination campaign leaders were also interviewed regarding implementation measures during the study years.

Results: At the end of 2007, BJC HealthCare had approximately 26,000 employees. With the use of multiple progressive interventions, influenza vaccination rates among BJC employees increased from 45% in 1997 to 72% in 2007 (P < .001). The influenza vaccination rate in 2007 was significantly higher than in 2006: 72%, compared with 54% (P < .001). Five hospitals had influenza vaccination rates that exceeded the target goal of 80% in 2007. The most successful interventions were adding influenza vaccination rates to the quality scorecard incentive program and the use of declination statements, both of which were implemented in 2007. The most important barriers to success identified by interview respondents were HCWs' misconceptions about influenza vaccination and a perceived lack of leadership support.

Conclusions: Influenza vaccination rates among HCWs significantly improved with multiple interventions over the years. However, the BJC HealthCare influenza vaccination target of 80% was not attained at all hospitals with these measures. More aggressive interventions, such as implementing mandatory influenza vaccination policies, are needed to achieve higher vaccination rates.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Potential conflicts of interest: MCA, KFW, HMB, NG and MJ report no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article. VJF has been a speaker for Johnson & Johnson, and consultant for Hawaii Chitopure and Ancora, which are not related to this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Employee influenza vaccination rates at BJC HealthCare, 1997 – 2007
NHIS: National Health Interview Survey (Healthcare workers subgroup) *Influenza vaccine shortage occurred in 2004.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Influenza vaccination rates by hospital for 11 hospitals in the BJC HealthCare system, 2007
Figure 3
Figure 3. Reasons that employees declined influenza vaccination at BJC HealthCare facilities, 2006–2007
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Thompson WW, Shay DK, Weintraub E, et al. Mortality associated with influenza and respiratory syncytial virus in the United States. JAMA. 2003;289:179–186. - PubMed
    1. Thompson WW, Shay DK, Weintraub E, et al. Influenza-associated hospitalizations in the United States. JAMA. 2004;292:1333–1340. - PubMed
    1. Molinari NA, Ortega-Sanchez IR, Messonnier ML, et al. The annual impact of seasonal influenza in the US: measuring disease burden and costs. Vaccine. 2007;25:5086–5096. - PubMed
    1. Doebbeling BN, Edmond MB, Davis CS, Woodin JR, Zeitler RR. Influenza vaccination of health care workers: evaluation of factors that are important in acceptance. Prev Med. 1997;26:68–77. - PubMed
    1. Salgado CD, Farr BM, Hall KK, Hayden FG. Influenza in the acute hospital setting. Lancet Infect Dis. 2002;2:145–155. - PubMed

Publication types

Substances