Health Care Provider Influenza Immunization Toolkit
Making sure health care personnel (HCP) receive annual influenza vaccinations will protect your staff and patients, yet vaccination coverage among HCP remains low, only about 50%. Influenza vaccination of HCP has been proven to lead to:
- reductions in HCP illness.
- HCP who receive influenza vaccine report approximately 30% fewer influenza-like illnesses.
- reductions in health care-acquired influenza.
- Up to 25% of HCP contract influenza each season.
- HCP can transmit influenza to their patients even before they know they are sick. All individuals infected with influenza are contagious for at least one day before symptoms develop.
- improved patient outcomes.
- Residents in nursing homes with high HCP vaccination levels have greater than 40% reduction in overall mortality.
The New York State Department of Health has compiled this toolkit of resources to help HCP to implement effective influenza immunization programs for their staff. This toolkit contains information to help you explain the solid science on the importance of vaccinating HCP against influenza. It also contains tools to assist in ordering, storing, and administering influenza vaccines for staff as well as your adult patients.
Table of Contents
- Reviewing the Evidence
- Vaccine Ordering, Storage, and Handling
- Vaccine Administration
- Vaccine Documentation
- Educational Materials
- Additional Resources
Reviewing the Evidence
- Definition of Health Care Personnel
- Influenza Immunization Recommendations
- Influenza Vaccination of Health-Care Personnel: Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR, February 24, 2006, Vol. 55, RR-2.
- Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines, Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR, August 26, 2011, 60(33);1128-1132.
- Immunization of Health-Care Personnel, Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), CDC, MMWR, November 25, 2011, Vol. 60, RR-7
- Position Statements on Influenza Immunization of Health Care Personnel
- Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Composition
- "Requiring influenza vaccination for health care workers: seven truths we must accept" Poland GA, Tosh P and Jacobson RM, 2005.
- "Standards for adult immunization practices". Poland GA et al., 2003.
- Research Articles on Influenza Vaccination of Health Care Personnel
Vaccine Ordering, Storage, and Handling
- Pre-book Vaccine
- Pre-book private stock influenza vaccine (for adults and privately-insured childen) in January - February. Reminder Letter: Pre-book Vaccine
- Pre-booking of Vaccines for Children influenza vaccine generally occurs in summer.
- List of Flu Vaccine Distributors
- Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking System (IVATS)
- Vaccine Storage And Handling Toolkit, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention
Vaccine Administration
- Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to Adults
- Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Vaccine to Adults
- Pharmacists' Standing Orders for Administering Pneumococcal Vaccine to Adults
- Vaccine Information Statements (VIS)
- Influenza/Pneumococcal Immunization Consent form
- Dosage, Administration, and Storage of Seasonal Influenza Vaccine
- How to Administer Intramuscular, Intradermal, and Intranasal Influenza Vaccines, Immunization Action Coalition
- How to Administer IM and SC Injections to Adults
- Medical Management of Vaccine Reactions in Adult Patients
Vaccine Documentation
- Influenza Vaccine Medical Exemption Statement for Health Care Personnel - Influenza
- Sample Influenza or Pneumococcal Vaccine Declination Form
- NYSDOH Adult Immunization Record card
- Vaccine Administration Record for Adults
- New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS)
- Sample Primary Care Provider Notification of Vaccination Letter
- Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
Influenza Educational Materials for Health Care Personnel
- NYSDOH Seasonal Influenza Educational Materials
- CDC Seasonal Influenza Print Materials
- Influenza Vaccine Flyer, Immunization Action Coalition
- Influenza Fact Sheet, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
- PowerPoint Presentations
Additional Resources
- Vaccination of Health Care Personnel
- NYSDOH Health Advisory: Recommendations for Vaccination of Health Care Personnel, 2007 (PDF, 61KB, 4pg.)
- List of Institutions with Mandatory Influenza Vaccination Policies for Health Care Personnel
- Implementation Guidance: Mandatory Influenza Immunization for Health Care Workers - American Academy of Pediatrics (Updated 9/20/10)
- Influenza Vaccination Information for Health Care Workers, CDC.
- The Flu Vaccination Challenge, Joint Commission Resources
- Best Practices
- National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Improving Influenza Vaccination Rates in Health Care Workers: Strategies to Increase Protection for Workers and Patients, 2004.
- National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Immunizing Health Care Personnel Against Influenza: a Report on Best Practices, 10/2007.
- Immunization Action Coalition. Suggestions to Improve Your Immunization Services.
- Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Additional Toolkits
- Influenza Toolkit, American Nurses Association
- Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself.
- The Joint Commission. Providing a Safer Environment for Health Care Personnel and Patients through Influenza Vaccination: Strategies from Research and Practice, 06/2009.
- Massachusetts Medical Society. Employee Flu Immunization Campaign Kit, 12/2007.
- Michigan Department of Community Health. Flu Fighter Action Kit.
- Immunization Action Coalition of Washington. Influenza Immunization Toolkit
- Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Infectious Disease. Influenza Toolkit.
