Re: ? Compulsory Influenza vaccination for healthcare workers

06/08/2015 at 3:50 pm #72353 Quote

Glenys Harrington

Participant

Author:
Glenys Harrington

Email:
infexion@ozemail.com.au

Organisation:
Infection Control Consultancy (ICC)

State:

Hi Kathy,

The attached recent publication may be if interest/use (you may have seen it
already)

. Marci Drees et al. Carrots and Sticks: Achieving High Healthcare
Personnel Influenza Vaccination Rates without a Mandate. Infect Control Hosp
Epidemiol 2015;36(6):717-724

The authors achieved a 92% vaccination rate compared with vaccination rates
of 57%-72% in the 3 years previous without mandating.

Their strategies included the following:

. Each of their forms (consent, declination and reason for
declination) included a bar code, which was scanned by a newly created
web-based application along with the HCP’s identification badge. This
automatically updated the vaccination database with vaccinated, exempt or
declined status.

. Every manager and vice president in the system began receiving
weekly lists of their employees, notated as vaccinated, not vaccinated, or
no response.

. Managers were required to follow up with employees who had not
responded. In addition, managers were aware of which employees had not been
vaccinated and, thus, were required to wear masks once the flu season began.

. Rather than relying on roving vaccinators, meetings, and
distribution of vaccine for self-vaccination, the task force decided to
adopt a “blitz” campaign during the first 2 weeks of the season. Beginning
in early October, vaccination stations were set up across all shifts at
entrances to hospitals and other outpatient/ancillary facilities.

. At each entrance, volunteer “clerks” (who ranged from
administrative assistants to leadership personnel) scanned the HCP’s
identification badge and the appropriate form (taking ~30 seconds), and then
directed him/her to the next available vaccinator (volunteer nurses and
pharmacists).

. After vaccination (or attesting to vaccination elsewhere), staff
were given hanging badges, stating “I’m vaccinated because I care.”

. Wearing the hanging badges was not mandatory, but anyone not
wearing an “I’m vaccinated” tag was required to mask while in patient care
areas, regardless of their actual vaccination status.

. ~70% of all employees were vaccinated during the initial “blitz.”

. The policy used the existing disciplinary process for employees
who either did not complete 1 of the 3 forms by November 30 (i.e., the
mandatory declination), or who were not vaccinated and repeatedly failed to
mask. While the discipline alone did not result in termination, it was
considered in performance evaluations and could result in an employee being
considered “below standard.” Employees in this status were ineligible for
annual raises or any financial incentive.

Many of these strategies could be readily implement in Australian healthcare
facility influenza vaccination programs.

Regards

Glenys

Glenys Harrington

Consultant

Infection Control Consultancy (ICC)

PO Box 5202

Middle Park

Victoria, 3206

Australia

M: +61 404 816 434

infexion@ozemail.com.au

ABN 47533508426

Of Katherine Taylor
for healthcare workers

Hi Kirsten,

Thanks for your response. Sending a text message is a great idea for
contacting the casual and part timers, maybe not only asking for those who
have had their jab elsewhere, but to remind them of when clinics are being
held. We will definitely add that to our influenza vaccine planning for
next year.

Regards

Kathy

Kathy Taylor- Infection Control Manager

The Wesley Hospital | 451 Coronation Drive, Auchenflower QLD 4066
t: 07 3232 7558 |m: 0427 607 812 | f: 07 3232 6043 |e:
katherine.taylor@uchealth.com.au

Of Kirsten Amos

Hi Kathy

Where I am is small and we have a significant part time/casual workforce. We
found that MANY of our staff had been vaccinated elsewhere and weren’t
letting us know. We sent out a text message to all our part time and casual
nurses asking them to contact me if they had received their flu vax
elsewhere. We increased our compliance by over 10%!

Kirsten Amos

Nurse Consultant

Infection Prevention and Control

Gippsland Southern Health Services

Of Katherine Taylor

Thanks Cathy,

I agree that getting the managers to assist is the way to get buy-in, but I
also like your idea of a prize draw – might hit up my exec for something
good next year.

Regards

Kathy

Kathy Taylor- Infection Control Manager

The Wesley Hospital | 451 Coronation Drive, Auchenflower QLD 4066
t: 07 3232 7558 |m: 0427 607 812 | f: 07 3232 6043 |e:
katherine.taylor@uchealth.com.au

Of Cathy Mowat

Katherine, we have had a lot of support from the executive team to achieve
our current rate of 79%. We have broken down all staff into ward
/departments lists and the managers were receiving weekly updates of
progress within their department. As the number of vaccinated staff
increased we then narrowed it down to those who have not been vaccinated.
All unit managers were expected to assist us in ensuring that every staff
member has either been vaccinated or has signed the declaration form
formally declining the vaccine. We have around 950 staff on 2 sites for
purposes of the influenza campaign. We have a major prize draw at the end of
the season for staff who have been vaccinated. This has been in place for
several years and alone didn’t assist that much in reaching our target. Last
year we failed to reach 75% so the strategies this year really worked. It
has, of course, come with the expense of great time and effort on the behalf
of the infection control staff who are both nurse immunisers.

Cathy Mowat

Infection Control

Central Gippsland Health Service

Sale Victoria

Of Katherine Taylor

Dear AICALIST members,

From July last year any new starters at our hospital sign that they agree to
have the vaccines that are recommended in the Australian Immunisation
Handbook for their designation, and now our executive are toying with the
idea of making influenza vaccination compulsory for all of our staff next
year.

With a lot of effort this year -lots of flu jab clinics, lollypops & bright
stickers for ID swing tags on vaccination, “grab a snag & get a jab” BBQ
lunch, free pizza lunch for wards/areas with compliance above 80% – we have
a compliance rate of 72% of staff either vaccinated or who have signed an
opt-out form declaring that they have been offered the influenza vaccine,
but decline for whatever reason. I think this compliance rate is pretty
good – certainly better than the compliance in previous years.

I would like to know what everyone else is doing out there. What has worked
and what has not?

Is influenza vaccination compulsory at your facility? Is it something your
exec team is considering?

What do you consider to be an acceptable vaccination rate in your healthcare
facility?

Is there any penalty for staff who are not vaccinated, e.g. unimmunised
staff wearing mask at work during winter?

Regards

Kathy

Kathy Taylor- Infection Control Manager

The Wesley Hospital | 451 Coronation Drive, Auchenflower QLD 4066
t: 07 3232 7558 |m: 0427 607 812 | f: 07 3232 6043 |e:
katherine.taylor@uchealth.com.au

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