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UPenn Fights Influenza:
Baby, Be Wise -- Immunize!

Using song and lyrics to raise awareness of the importance of influenza vaccination for HCWs, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania created this 5-minute video featuring scores of employees lip-synching to a doo-wop beat.
Information for Healthcare Professionals
Influenza - prevent a bad disease with a good vaccine!
Vaccinating Healthcare Workers
Vaccination of health-care workers (HCWs) has been shown to reduce influenza infection and absenteeism among HCWs, prevent mortality in their patients, and result in financial savings to sponsoring health institutions. Influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs in the United States, however, remains low.
Mandatory Influenza Vaccination Policies for Healthcare Workers
The best way to prevent transmission of influenza to those persons we serve is to mandate vaccination of the healthcare worker. The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) maintains a list champions who have taken the lead in mandating healthcare worker vaccination against influenza on an annual basis. Visit the Honor Roll for Patient Safety.
Join the Honor Roll Today
Fill out this online form to tell IAC about influenza vaccination mandates in your healthcare setting
Best Practices for Increasing Influenza Vaccination Rates among Healthcare Workers
The National Influenza Vaccine Summit seeks examples of programs that have been particularly effective in increasing influenza vaccination rates of healthcare workers. With their permission, we are posting an assortment of those who have responded to the Summit's request. If you would be willing to have your success story listed, please complete the Healthcare Worker Influenza Vaccination Program Reporting Form. We will re-confirm the information with you before it is posted.
Blythedale Children's Hospital, Valhalla, New York
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey, California
Family HealthCare Network, Visalia, California
Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, Vermont
Houston Northwest Medical Center, Houston, Texas
Market Square Health Care Center, South Paris, Maine
Market Square Health Care Center, South Paris, Maine
Meadow View Terrace, Clarksville, Virginia
Munroe Regional Medical Center, Ocala, Florida
Neosha Memorial Regional Medical Center, Chanute, Kansas
North End Rehab and Nursing Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Ridgeview Place Assisted Living, Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington
St. Louis University Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri
Tool Kits and Other Materials Developed and/or Distributed by State and National Organizations
American Medical Directors Association (AMDA): "Immunization in the Long Term Care Setting" tool kit contains sample policies and models to help long-term care facilities boost vaccination compliance among both residents and staff, as well as guidance for dealing with influenza outbreaks.
American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP): Stop the flu – it starts with you! This web-based resource center is designed to inform, educate, and engage pharmacists as advocates in efforts to improve seasonal influenza immunization rates among health care workers.
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC): "Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself." This toolkit features a variety of helpful resource materials that can be used to encourage health care institutions to implement or expand their health care worker immunization programs.mpaign.
California Adult Immunization Coalition: "Immunization in Long Term and Acute Care Facilities Campaign –Health Care Worker Initiative" provides promotional materials, individual tools, comprehensive toolkits, and background and general information.
Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP): "Influenza Vaccination of Health-Care Personnel," contains HICPAC and ACIP recommendations urging that all healthcare personnel be vaccinated annually against influenza.
Joint Commission (formerly known as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations): view its monograph "Providing a Safer Environment for Health Care Personnel and Patients through Influenza Vaccination: Strategies from Research and Practice," put together by the Joint Commission in collaboration with other national partners (i.e., APIC, CDC, NFID, SHEA).
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland Partnership for Prevention, Inc.: Maryland Health Care Workers Influenza Initiative was undertaken to raise vaccination rates among health care workers by providing resources to support, facility-wide employee influenza vaccination campaigns, and rewarding immunization excellence in health care facilities. The initiative subsequently won a special recognition award in 2009 for a Coalition Campaign from the National Influenza Vaccine Summit. View presentation slides from the 2009 National Immunization Conference here.
Massachusetts Medical Society: Employee Flu Immunization Campaign Kit, designed to help hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care settings protect staff and patients from influenza by increasing health care worker immunization rates. The kit includes facts, worksheets, promotional materials, tips, and step-by-step instructions on how to plan and conduct a successful employee flu immunization campaign.
New! Michigan Department of Community Health: "Flu Fighter Action Kit." Using the philosophy that "anyone who shares air with patients should be vaccinated," this kit offers users a clearly outlined step-by-step approach to increasing the influenza vaccination rate among healthcare personnel. The kit includes ready-to-use materials such as planning templates, a campaign calendar and timeline, and influenza educational resources.
National Foundation for Infectious Disease (NFID) has developed several excellent monographs on the following issues:
Vaccination of Children
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Increasing Influenza Immunization Rates in Infants and Children: Putting Recommendations in to Practice
- Improving Childhood Influenza Immunization Rates to Protect Our Nation's Children
Vaccination of Healthcare Workers
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Influenza Immunization Among Health Care Workers - A Call to Action
- Improving Influenza Vaccination Rates in Health Care Workers - Strategies to increase Protection
for Workers and Patients
- Immunizing Healthcare Personnel Against Influenza: A Report on Best Practices
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) developed a toolkit for DHHS staff to use in promoting healthcare personnel influenza vaccination as part of its effort to achieve the Healthy People 2010 objective of 60 percent vaccination coverage for all healthcare personnel.
Helpful Tools
Declination of Influenza Vaccination [PDF]
Use this form to document healthcare worker refusal to receive vaccination for reasons other than a medical contraindication.
Source: Immunization Action Coalition
First Do No Harm. Protect Patients by Making Sure All Staff Receive Yearly Influenza Vaccine! [PDF]
Source: Immunization Action Coalition
Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV): The Right Choice for Healthcare Workers [PDF]
Source: Minnesota Department of Health
Protect Yourself. Protect Your patients. Get Your Flu Vaccine. [PDF]
Display this poster in your clinic or other health facility.
Source: Florida Department of Health
Seven Truths About Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Workers [PDF]
Adapted from Dr. Greg Poland, Mayo Clinic
Source: Minnesota Department of Health
Implementing a Mandatory Medical Center Influenza Immunization Program - Insights from Virginia Mason Medical Center [PDF]
View this presentation given at the 2007 National Influenza Vaccine Summit.
Organizational Position Statements on Vaccination of Healthcare Workers
American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
American College of Physicians (ACP)
American Medical Association (AMA): supports vaccination for influenza, pertussis and influenza, and to set examples for their adult patients.
American Nurses Association (ANA)
American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP)
Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses
American Pharmacists Association
Association of Professionals in Infection Control (APIC)
Canadian Government, Province of Ontario
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and Hospital Infection Control Practice Advisory Committee (HICPAC)
Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)
National Quality Forum (NQF)
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
Partnership for Prevention
Public Health Agency of Canada: National Advisory Committee on Immunization
 
Reviewed May 21, 2010

American Medical Association: Science, Research, and Technology
Litjen (L.J.) Tan, PhD litjen.tan@ama-assn.org

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This website managed by the Immunization Action Coalition
Diane Peterson, editor  •  Mitch Rothholz, RPh, MBA, contributing editor