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. 2017 Dec;17(6):484-489.
doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.17-6-484.

Healthcare worker influenza vaccination and sickness absence - an ecological study

Miguel Pereira  1 , Siân Williams  2 , Louise Restrick  3 , Paul Cullinan  1 , Nicholas S Hopkinson; London Respiratory Network
Affiliations

Healthcare worker influenza vaccination and sickness absence - an ecological study

Miguel Pereira et al. Clin Med (Lond). 2017 Dec.

Abstract

Although Influenza vaccination is recommended for healthcare workers, vaccination rates in UK healthcare workers are only around 50%. We investigated the association between NHS sickness absence rates (using data from Health and Social Care Information Centre quarterly reports), staff vaccination rates and influenza vaccine efficacy (from Public Health England), influenza deaths (from the Office of National Statistics) and staff satisfaction (from www.NHSstaffsurveys.com). Data from 223 healthcare trusts covered approximately 800,000 staff in each of four influenza seasons from 2011; overall staff sickness rate was roughly 4.5%. Annual vaccination rates varied between 44% and 54%. Higher NHS trust vaccination rates were associated with reduced sickness absence (β = -0.425 [95% CI -0.658 to -0.192], p<0.001). Thus, a 10% increase in vaccination rate would be associated with a 10% fall in sickness absence rate. Influenza vaccination for NHS staff is associated with reduced sickness absence rates.

Keywords: Healthcare worker; influenza; occupational health; vaccination.

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Figures

Fig 1.
Fig 1.
Trends in influenza vaccine uptake across the 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 and 2014–15 influenza seasons. Results represented for each type of healthcare worker (HCW): doctors, nurses, other HCWs and non-clinical support staff.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Flu-related absence, a small proportion of all-cause sickness absence.
    O'Reilly F, Noone P. O'Reilly F, et al. Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Jun;18(3):268. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-3-268. Clin Med (Lond). 2018. PMID: 29858446 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Response.
    Pereira M, Williams S, Restrick L, Cullinan P, Hopkinson NS. Pereira M, et al. Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Jun;18(3):268-269. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-3-268a. Clin Med (Lond). 2018. PMID: 29858447 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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