Hospitals can improve the rate of influenza vaccination among its employees by understanding the factors associated with vaccination, according to a study in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers assessed the vaccination rates of 428 clinical and nonclinical personnel from a major university medical center in 2011. The vaccine was made available to all personnel for free. Seventy-one percent of clinical personnel reported pandemic H1N1 vaccination compared with 27 percent of nonclinical personnel. The difference in vaccination rates between clinical and nonclinical personnel was similar for the 2009/2010 seasonal flu vaccine and the 2010/2011 combination flu vaccine, which included both the pandemic and seasonal vaccine.
The authors identified five factors associated with pandemic vaccination in nonclinical personnel:
• High level of influenza-related knowledge
• Concern regarding influenza contagion
• History of previous influenza vaccinations or influenza illness
• Participation in vaccine-related training
• Awareness of the institution's written pandemic plan
Past history of seasonal influenza vaccination was associated with pandemic vaccination among clinical personnel.
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Researchers assessed the vaccination rates of 428 clinical and nonclinical personnel from a major university medical center in 2011. The vaccine was made available to all personnel for free. Seventy-one percent of clinical personnel reported pandemic H1N1 vaccination compared with 27 percent of nonclinical personnel. The difference in vaccination rates between clinical and nonclinical personnel was similar for the 2009/2010 seasonal flu vaccine and the 2010/2011 combination flu vaccine, which included both the pandemic and seasonal vaccine.
The authors identified five factors associated with pandemic vaccination in nonclinical personnel:
• High level of influenza-related knowledge
• Concern regarding influenza contagion
• History of previous influenza vaccinations or influenza illness
• Participation in vaccine-related training
• Awareness of the institution's written pandemic plan
Past history of seasonal influenza vaccination was associated with pandemic vaccination among clinical personnel.
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