February 10, 2006 -- CDC Says More Healthcare Workers Need to Get Flu Shots

Currently, fewer than half of healthcare workers get annual vaccinations for seasonal influenza, and that poses health risks to their patients, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said February 9. In "enhanced recommendations" announced yesterday, the CDC's Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are recommending that flu shots be offered at healthcare workplaces during all shifts and at no cost to employees, and that healthcare workers be given information "to combat fears and misconceptions about influenza and influenza vaccines." It's also suggested that employers get a signed form from staff who decline vaccination for reasons other than medical, as a way of identifying and overcoming employees' concerns. The CDC has recommended since 1984 that healthcare personnel be vaccinated annually against influenza, and past influenza outbreaks in hospitals and long-term care facilities have been associated with low vaccination rates among staff.