US urges hospitals to vaccinate workers for flu

February 10, 2006

US urges hospitals to vaccinate workers for flu By: Maggie Fox

Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:23 AM ET

(Pic)- Childrens Hospital at the Medical Center of Central Georgia taken from

website (click to enlarge).

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hospitals and nursing homes should offer free flu

vaccines to all their workers and make employees sign a form if they refuse to

be immunized, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on

Thursday.

As part of a drive to vaccinate more healthcare workers the CDC also said in a

statement that shots should be made available to employees day and night.

Influenza kills 36,000 people in an average year in the United States and puts

200,000 into the hospital.

Ensuring health care workers, including doctors, nurses, technicians, clerks and

cafeteria workers, are vaccinated has taken on greater importance with the

spread of H5N1 avian influenza and its potential to create a pandemic.

" When people who work in hospitals and healthcare facilities don't get

vaccinated, they can pose a serious health risk to their patients, " said CDC

Director Dr. Gerberding.

Surveys show that only between 36 percent and 38 percent of health care workers

get an annual flu shot, even though they have a higher-than-average risk of

being infected and can pass the virus on to vulnerable patients.

One recent study found that 23 percent of health care workers had antibodies to

influenza in their blood after a mild flu season but 59 percent of these could

not recall having had flu and 28 percent did not remember having been ill at

all.

When asked, health care workers give the same reasons as most people for not

getting flu shots - a lack of time, the belief that they will not get flu, fear

of needles, and a belief that the shot carries risks.

The CDC, which does not have enforcement or regulatory powers, has long

recommended that health care employees get the shots but experts now agree that

hospitals will have to be prodded into action.

The American Medical Association, which represents about a third of U.S.

doctors, applauded the recommendations. " The AMA encourages physicians and

nurses to lead by example and get the flu vaccine, " the group said in a

statement.

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