Researchers examined healthcare worker flu vaccination rates in hospitals that mandated annual vaccination with and without consequences for noncompliance by administering a survey to an infection control professional in hospitals across the U.S.
Of 150 hospitals that required flu vaccination for its workers, 84 had consequences, such as wearing a mask, termination, education, restriction from patient care duties or unpaid leave, and 66 had no consequences for noncompliance. The increase in healthcare worker vaccination rate at hospitals with mandates with consequences was nearly twice the rate increase at hospitals with mandates that did not have consequences. The difference in flu vaccination rate increased to nearly three-fold in states that had laws regulating healthcare worker flu vaccination.
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