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Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 4:05 PM
74

Did You Take Your Medicine? Influenza vaccination in hospitals: the San Diego Hospital Influenza Immunization Project

Michelle Dzulynsky1, Christina Hawley2, Karina Gardea2, Kathy Holcomb2, Michelle De Guire2, Wendy Wang2, K. Michael Peddecord3, John M. Fontanesi2, Kathleen W. Gustafson4, Adrienne Collins Yancey5, Mark H. Sawyer2, and Barbara H. Bardenheier6. (1) San Diego Hospital Influenza Immunization Partnership, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, #0720, La Jolla, CA, USA, (2) San Diego Immunization Partnership, a UCSD contract with the SD County Immunization Branch, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, #0720, La Jolla, CA, USA, (3) Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive MC - 4161, San Diego, CA, USA, (4) San Diego Immunization Partnership, a UCSD contract with the SD County Immunization Branch, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, 9500 Gilman Drive # 0720, 3851 Rosecrans Street, La Jolla, CA, USA, (5) San Diego Immunization Branch, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, PO Box 85222, Mail Stop P511B, 3851 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, CA, USA, (6) NIP/ISD/HSREB, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, MS-E52, Atlanta, GA, USA


Learning Objectives for this Presentation:
By the end of the presentation participants will be able to describe the level of success in 14 hospitals in providing influenza vaccine to their healthcare workers and list the types of interventions used.

Background:
Healthcare worker (HCW) annual influenza immunization coverage rates are inadequate (<50%) in the US. The San Diego Hospital Influenza Immunization Project, a collaborative effort of 14 hospitals and the County of San Diego HHSA Immunization Branch, was formed to share information and raise HCW influenza immunization rates across the entire community.

Objectives:
Document the efforts of 14 hospitals in San Diego County to immunize their HCW population.

Methods:
HCW influenza immunization coverage rates were estimated by three methods: a random digit telephone dialing (RDD) survey, a paper/electronic survey completed by employees, and a tracking form on which hospitals were asked to record number of vaccines administered. Employee surveys were used to determine attitudes and beliefs concerning influenza vaccination. Key informant interviews were conducted in each of the 14 hospitals to document the specific HCW immunization activities in each facility.

Results:
Influenza immunization coverage rates for HCWs in participating hospitals with adequate employee survey response rates ranged from 59.3-74.0%. The coverage rate from the RDD survey was 69.2%. Of employees surveyed, 82.6% of were vaccinated in their place of employment: 40.2% in an Occupational Health clinic, 30.7% at a mass vaccination clinic and 21.3% by a mobile team. 36% of surveyed employees would have preferred the nasal influenza vaccine over the injectable vaccine.

Conclusions:
Influenza vaccination rates for hospital-based HCW in San Diego are higher than most published national rates. The amount of effort expended by hospitals to immunize their HCW varies across hospitals and many hospitals have developed innovative strategies to maximize coverage rates. Sharing of information between hospitals within a community can improve the approaches to HCW influenza immunization.

See more of Increasing Influenza Vaccine Coverage among Health Care Workers
See more of The 41st National Immunization Conference (NIC)