BACKGROUND:
In Massachusetts, 29% of long-term care facility employees are vaccinated annually. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and its partners have been striving to improve influenza vaccination rates of health care workers through education.

OBJECTIVE:
1) Estimate the rate of influenza vaccination among a subset of nurses. 2) Identify factors affecting vaccination rates among nurses. 3) Use information from the survey to refine strategies to increase vaccination rates among nurses.

METHOD:
MDPH and the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) developed a survey tool and administered it to 175 nurses attending the annual MNA conference in October 2004.

RESULT:
35% of the surveys were returned. 84% of respondents reported their employers offered flu vaccine at the work site. 57% of the respondents received flu vaccine the previous flu season and of those vaccinated, 91% received it at their worksite. Vaccinated nurses were more likely than unvaccinated nurses to have employers who offered vaccine (97% vs. 68%) and to have accurate information about contraindications (74% vs. 38%) and side effects (74% vs. 65%). The most common reasons cited for not receiving vaccine were “concern about adverse events” (58%) and “didn't think I needed it” (31%).

CONCLUSION:
Knowledge about influenza vaccine and availability of vaccine at the work site are important factors affecting nurse vaccination rates. MDPH is proposing regulations to require healthcare facilities to provide influenza vaccine and to document vaccination status for all employees. MDPH and MNA will work with their partners to educate nurses about the risks of influenza, the risks and benefits of influenza vaccine, and effective strategies for vaccinating health care workers.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1) Participants will be able to list factors associated with nurses' willingness to receive influenza vaccine. 2) Participants will be able to list common misconceptions held by nurses regarding influenza vaccine.