EMPLOYEE INFLUENZA VACCINATON

Influenza Vaccination (Your institution) is committed to keep both its employees and patients safe (Your institution) recognizes that influenza vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza infection among our patients and staff (Your institution) wants you to make an informed decision about vaccination

JUST THE FACTS Seasonal Influenza accounts for roughly 226,000 hospitalizations and up to 50,000 deaths in the United States each year! It is impossible to predict when the next influenza pandemic may arise or how severe it will be Nationally among healthcare workers vaccination rates are only 50-60%

What Can I Do? Receiving the influenza vaccine is the most effective way to protect your patients, yourself, and your family Like last year, the seasonal influenza vaccine will require only one vaccination which includes protection against the 2009 H1N1 strain

(Your Institution) is Committed to Protecting You, Your Family, & Your Patients (Your institution) offers free vaccines to all employees (Your institution)will vaccinate our health care workers and patients against seasonal influenza (now includes protection against 2009 H1N1) beginning September 28, 2011

Vaccination and Patient Safety Influenza outbreaks in hospitals have been attributed to low vaccination rates among health care workers Up to 23% of unvaccinated healthcare workers may acquire influenza infection The illness may be mild or subclinical, but can be transmitted to our very vulnerable patients

The CDC Recommends that ALL Healthcare Workers Receive the Vaccine!

Impact of Employee Vaccination Influenza vaccination of healthcare workers has been associated with a 50% reduction in patient mortality in long term care facilities Vaccinated health care workers have fewer missed days of work

Professional Ethics of Healthcare Workers to Protect Patients Vaccination is a professional responsibility of working in healthcare Safety of patients trumps personal choice Obligated to “First do no harm” Duty to protect the vulnerable (patients) Must role model the medical importance of vaccination

(Your Institution) Policy (Your institution) expects all healthcare workers to receive the influenza vaccine by November 10, 2011 unless there is a medical contraindication If you have a medical contraindication, you must provide documentation from your provider or be evaluated by Employee Health Services

(Your Institution) Policy If you do not have a medical reason not to be vaccinated, but still wish to decline the vaccine, you must do the following by November 10, 2011: ◦ Complete this on line educational module ◦ Complete one-on-one education regarding the benefits of vaccination in order to protect our patients and staff ◦ Sign a declination statement including the reason for declining the vaccine

Medical Contraindications People with previous severe reactions to influenza vaccination should be evaluated by their provider or employee health to determine whether they should receive the vaccine Recent studies demonstrate that the injectable influenza vaccine is SAFE in most persons with minor egg allergy including hives Vaccine should not be given to people with RARE anaphylaxis to eggs who experience lip or throat swelling and breathing difficulties

Will I get sick from the vaccine? The injectable influenza vaccine is inactivated and CANNOT cause the flu Influenza vaccine may be associated with mild fever or local injection site reactions During clinical studies these reactions occurred no more than placebo (injection of sugar water)

What about the preservatives in the vaccine? Thimerosal is a preservative used in multi- dose vials of vaccine to prevent bacterial growth. (Your institution if appropriate) uses only single-dose vials that do not contain thimerosal for our health care workers There is NO scientific evidence linking thimerosal to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism

What about the risk of Guillain-Barre Syndrome? The estimated risk for Guillain-Barre Syndrome is approximately one additional case per 1 million persons vaccinated The estimated risk of Guillian-Barre Syndrome is four to seven times higher following influenza infection than after vaccination Please discuss your concerns with your health care provider or employee health

Instead of vaccination, can I just take anti-viral medication (Tamiflu) if I get sick? Antiviral medications do not take the place of vaccination Unvaccinated HCW may be infected without symptoms and risk transmitting influenza to vulnerable patients Resistance to current anti-influenza medications continues to emerge, making them less effective for treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis DO NOT rely on anti-viral medications such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) to protect you or your family

People who should not receive the vaccine People who have documented severe anaphylactic reaction to chicken eggs People who developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome within 6 weeks of getting influenza vaccine in the past Children less than 6 months of age People who have moderate to severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated)

If I don’t respond by November 10, 2011… (Your insitution) staff who refuse to comply with the “vaccinate or decline” policy will be subject to corrective action.

What else can I do? In addition to being vaccinated against influenza, remember these basic practices to help protect your patients and yourself: Wash your hands! Respiratory etiquette and “Cover your cough” - Place a mask on patients presenting with cough Stay home if you have influenza-like illness: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue

Standard Precautions It is important to practice strict standard precautions when caring for ALL patients: Wash or gel hands before and after every patient contact Gloves for all procedures and contact with mucous membranes or bodily secretions Gowning when exposure to bodily fluids likely Masking with eye protection whenever performing cough-inducing or aerosol- generating procedures

If you have any further questions please contact Employee Health Service Your contact information

References Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines, Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), MMWR 59 (August 6, 2010) Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), MMWR 60 (August 18, 2011)