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Re: Mandated HCW influenza vaccination

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  • #73596
    Michael Wishart
    Participant

    Author:
    Michael Wishart

    Position:

    Organisation:

    State:
    NSW

    [Posted on behalf of Giulietta Pontivivo – Moderator]

    Hi Michael

    The draft update of the MoH NSW Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination Against Specific Infectious Diseases PD stipulates “HCW’s in Category A high risk groups will be mandated to be vaccinate before 31st may each year. If unvaccinated the HCW maybe deployed permanently to other low risk working environments”.

    Personally I would have liked to see all HCW’s in category A be mandated to have a seasonal flu vaccine. Given that in NSW there were over 270 HC facilities that experienced influenza outbreaks last year with low rates of HCW influenza vaccination in such facilities then mandatory vaccination must be seen as a patient safety requirement.

    Regards Giulietta

    Giulietta Pontivivo CICP RN/RM/MPH| NM Infection Prevention Management and Staff Health Services- St Vincent’s Hospital (Unit Level 6, DeLacy Building), 390 Victoria Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010
    Contact Details: t: 61 2 8382 3284 | f: 61 2 8382 3892 |M-0457 533 452 e: Giulietta.Pontivivo@svha.org.au

    There has been an interesting discussion of the 2010 SHEA position paper on mandated influenza vaccination in the US on the Controversies in Hospital Infection Control blog (http://haicontroversies.blogspot.com.au/). The key blog posts are from Jan 29th, Feb 5th and Feb 6th.

    For those who do not regularly follow this blog, it is an interesting debate. It is a discussion on evidence vs opinion for prescription of practice.

    I agree with the original blog author: it is fine to state opinion and plausibility to recommend something, but if we want to mandate something, there needs to be clear evidence.

    Would be interested to hear other ICP’s opinion on this topic.

    Cheers
    Michael

    Michael Wishart
    Infection Control Coordinator

    A 627 Rode Road, Chermside QLD 4032
    P (07) 3326 3068 | F (07) 3607 2226 | E michael.wishart@svha.org.au | W http://www.hsnph.org.au

    P Please consider the environment before printing this email

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    #73597
    Michael Wishart
    Participant

    Author:
    Michael Wishart

    Position:

    Organisation:

    State:
    NSW

    Thank Giulietta

    I wonder what evidence those who drafted this policy change have used? Or have they relied on existing position papers such as the 2010 SHEA one?

    How will they tackle an informed infectious diseases physician or an emergency physician who refuses annual influenza vaccination? How could you redeploy them without financial penalty??

    And to be clear, I do not disagree with recommending annual influenza vaccination for HCWs. It is penalising HCWs are for not partaking of the offer that I disagree with. Do they really pose such a risk to others that we must penalise them? That is the question.

    Cheers
    Michael

    Michael Wishart
    Infection Control Coordinator

    A 627 Rode Road, Chermside QLD 4032
    P (07) 3326 3068 | F (07) 3607 2226 | E michael.wishart@svha.org.au | W http://www.hsnph.org.au
    [cid:image001.png@01D01926.61F1C2B0] [cid:image002.png@01D28130.561BC700]
    P Please consider the environment before printing this email

    [Posted on behalf of Giulietta Pontivivo – Moderator]

    Hi Michael

    The draft update of the MoH NSW Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination Against Specific Infectious Diseases PD stipulates “HCW’s in Category A high risk groups will be mandated to be vaccinate before 31st may each year. If unvaccinated the HCW maybe deployed permanently to other low risk working environments”.

    Personally I would have liked to see all HCW’s in category A be mandated to have a seasonal flu vaccine. Given that in NSW there were over 270 HC facilities that experienced influenza outbreaks last year with low rates of HCW influenza vaccination in such facilities then mandatory vaccination must be seen as a patient safety requirement.

    Regards Giulietta

    Giulietta Pontivivo CICP RN/RM/MPH| NM Infection Prevention Management and Staff Health Services- St Vincent’s Hospital (Unit Level 6, DeLacy Building), 390 Victoria Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010
    Contact Details: t: 61 2 8382 3284 | f: 61 2 8382 3892 |M-0457 533 452 e: Giulietta.Pontivivo@svha.org.au

    There has been an interesting discussion of the 2010 SHEA position paper on mandated influenza vaccination in the US on the Controversies in Hospital Infection Control blog (http://haicontroversies.blogspot.com.au/). The key blog posts are from Jan 29th, Feb 5th and Feb 6th.

    For those who do not regularly follow this blog, it is an interesting debate. It is a discussion on evidence vs opinion for prescription of practice.

    I agree with the original blog author: it is fine to state opinion and plausibility to recommend something, but if we want to mandate something, there needs to be clear evidence.

    Would be interested to hear other ICP’s opinion on this topic.

    Cheers
    Michael

    Michael Wishart
    Infection Control Coordinator

    A 627 Rode Road, Chermside QLD 4032
    P (07) 3326 3068 | F (07) 3607 2226 | E michael.wishart@svha.org.au | W http://www.hsnph.org.au

    P Please consider the environment before printing this email

    ______________________________________________________________________
    This email and any attachments to it (the “Email”) is confidential and is for the use only of the intended recipient, and may not be duplicated or used by any other party without the express consent of the sender. If you are not the intended recipient of the Email, please notify the sender immediately by return email, delete the Email, and do not copy, print, retransmit, store or act in reliance on the Email. St Vincent’s Health Australia (“SVHA”) does not guarantee that the Email is free from errors, viruses or interference. Emails to and from SVHA or its related entities may be scanned and filtered in locations outside Australia.

    ______________________________________________________________________
    This email and any attachments to it (the “Email”) is confidential and is for the use only of the intended recipient, and may not be duplicated or used by any other party without the express consent of the sender. If you are not the intended recipient of the Email, please notify the sender immediately by return email, delete the Email, and do not copy, print, retransmit, store or act in reliance on the Email. St Vincent’s Health Australia (“SVHA”) does not guarantee that the Email is free from errors, viruses or interference. Emails to and from SVHA or its related entities may be scanned and filtered in locations outside Australia.
    MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

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    This email and any attachments to it (the “Email”) is confidential and is for the use only of the intended recipient, and may not be duplicated or used by any other party without the express consent of the sender. If you are not the intended recipient of the Email, please notify the sender immediately by return email, delete the Email, and do not copy, print, retransmit, store or act in reliance on the Email. St Vincent’s Health Australia (“SVHA”) does not guarantee that the Email is free from errors, viruses or interference. Emails to and from SVHA or its related entities may be scanned and filtered in locations outside Australia.

    MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

    The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

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    #73599
    MaryLouise McLaws
    Participant

    Author:
    MaryLouise McLaws

    Position:

    Organisation:

    State:

    Michael
    There are several evidential factors that should make HCWs accept annual vaccination:
    1. flu can be transmitted at least 24 hours before symptoms,
    2. flu can be present even when a case is asymptomatic
    3. flu can be easily transmitted while symptomatic during just tidal breathing
    4. Flu particles can travel 2.6 metres
    There is evidence to back up all of these that makes mandatory vaccination every HCW’s patient safety duty.

    M-L
    Professor Epidemiology Healthcare Associated Infection and Infectious Disease Control

    Sent from my iPhone

    On 8 Feb 2017, at 9:19 pm, Michael Wishart <Michael.Wishart@SVHA.ORG.AU> wrote:

    [Posted on behalf of Giulietta Pontivivo Moderator]

    Hi Michael

    The draft update of the MoH NSW Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination Against Specific Infectious Diseases PD stipulates HCWs in Category A high risk groups will be mandated to be vaccinate before 31st may each year. If unvaccinated the HCW maybe deployed permanently to other low risk working environments.

    Personally I would have liked to see all HCWs in category A be mandated to have a seasonal flu vaccine. Given that in NSW there were over 270 HC facilities that experienced influenza outbreaks last year with low rates of HCW influenza vaccination in such facilities then mandatory vaccination must be seen as a patient safety requirement.

    Regards Giulietta

    Giulietta Pontivivo CICP RN/RM/MPH| NM Infection Prevention Management and Staff Health Services- St Vincents Hospital (Unit Level 6, DeLacy Building), 390 Victoria Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010
    Contact Details: t: 61 2 8382 3284 | f: 61 2 8382 3892 |M-0457 533 452 e: Giulietta.Pontivivo@svha.org.au

    There has been an interesting discussion of the 2010 SHEA position paper on mandated influenza vaccination in the US on the Controversies in Hospital Infection Control blog (http://haicontroversies.blogspot.com.au/). The key blog posts are from Jan 29th, Feb 5th and Feb 6th.

    For those who do not regularly follow this blog, it is an interesting debate. It is a discussion on evidence vs opinion for prescription of practice.

    I agree with the original blog author: it is fine to state opinion and plausibility to recommend something, but if we want to mandate something, there needs to be clear evidence.

    Would be interested to hear other ICPs opinion on this topic.

    Cheers
    Michael

    Michael Wishart
    Infection Control Coordinator

    A 627 Rode Road, Chermside QLD 4032
    P (07) 3326 3068 | F (07) 3607 2226 | E michael.wishart@svha.org.au | W http://www.hsnph.org.au

    P Please consider the environment before printing this email

    ______________________________________________________________________
    This email and any attachments to it (the “Email”) is confidential and is for the use only of the intended recipient, and may not be duplicated or used by any other party without the express consent of the sender. If you are not the intended recipient of the Email, please notify the sender immediately by return email, delete the Email, and do not copy, print, retransmit, store or act in reliance on the Email. St Vincent’s Health Australia (“SVHA”) does not guarantee that the Email is free from errors, viruses or interference. Emails to and from SVHA or its related entities may be scanned and filtered in locations outside Australia.
    MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

    The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

    Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

    Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au

    To send a message to the list administrator send an email to aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.

    You can unsubscribe from this list be sending ‘signoff aicalist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au

    MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

    The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

    Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

    Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au

    To send a message to the list administrator send an email to aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.

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