Urged to Get Flu Shots

Above about health-care workers again urged to get flu shots.

In years past, about six in 10 health-care workers nationwide would skip the annual flu shot, even as public-health experts preached its importance.

Last year, because of the H1N1 flu scare, those numbers were reversed - 60 percent of health-care workers nationwide were vaccinated, according to preliminary data.

National health leaders want to build on that interest by telling health-care workers that they have an ethical obligation to lower the risk that they'll get sick.

"Every health-care worker has a responsibility to protect their patients and that includes vaccination," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That message appears to be getting through in Columbus, where a majority of hospital employees were vaccinated last season and hospital leaders continue to push for higher rates.

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases shared survey results yesterday showing that 95 percent of 400 primary-care physicians said they have been or plan to be vaccinated against flu this year.

Dr. William Schaffner, president of the group, said that news was encouraging, especially considering the historically low rates of vaccination among all health-care workers.

Although H1N1 was the motivation last year, 60 percent of health-care workers got the seasonal vaccine that was available earlier. Since the H1N1 vaccine became available later in the year, less than 40 percent of have gotten that vaccine.

Health officials now say that everyone 6 months and older should be vaccinated.

Columbus hospitals last season drove their vaccination numbers much higher than the national average of about 40 percent among all health-care workers.

Nationwide Children's Hospital is continuing last year's policy of withholding raises for those employees who refuse the vaccine. Last year, that policy (which exempts those who have a medical or religious reason) helped them get about 97 percent of employees vaccinated with the H1N1 and seasonal vaccines, said Dr. Dennis Cunningham, physician director for epidemiology and infection control.

"You have to have some teeth in the policy," he said.