Improving Influenza Vaccine Rates among Health Care Workers

Vaccine rates By Year Barriers to Receiving ShotsISSUE: This is a 60-bed community hospital with approximately 500 full time active employees. In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this facility has always offered influenza vaccine free of cost to all health care workers. Rate of participation ranged from 30 to 44%. Each year various strategies were incorporated into the influenza campaign to get employees to participate. An opportunity for improvement still remained. Infection Control and Employee Health Subcommittee accepted the challenge to increase employee participation by at least 20%. PROJECT: In 1999 a survey was done to identify barriers to getting the flu shot. This was followed house-wide education to erase some of the barriers. A budget was decided on to provide motivational gifts. Posters and reminders were placed at strategic places. The flu shot was added as one of the challenge steps in the employee health wellness program. Managers and Department Heads were empowered to assist in the campaign. The kick-off for the campaign was at our annual employee health fair and continued with the roving carts to each department for all shifts. Competition between departments was promoted. The campaign continued each year but was interrupted with vaccine shortages. In 2004 we added the Follow the Leaders posters in which Administration and Physicians could be seen receiving their shots. A declination form for those refusing the vaccine was also added. RESULTS: 31% of employees who refused the flu shot claimed they had experienced a bad outcome in the past [Table 2]. After the first year of the campaign,vaccine rate went from 44% to 57% [Table 1] but declined the following years due to vaccine shortage. The rate for 2005-2006 influenza season to date is back up to 57% with 85% of employees completed. Sadly enough, participation is still higher amoung non-clinical workers. The declination forms seemed to have helped to increase participation but that will be studied later. LESSONS LEARNED: A number of strategies must be coupled together to get employee participation. Creativity is important. The momentum once achieved must continue in order to maintain that improvement. Flu vaccine shortage really foiled the process. To acheive success the campaign must begin at the end of the previous season.