Cage the Flu Bug - a Healthcare Worker Vaccine Campaign

Learning Objectives for this Presentation:
By the end of the presentation participants will be able to describe a multi-modality campaign for increasing influenza vaccine uptake in a large healthcare organization and be able to apply similar tactics in other organizations

Background:
Influenza vaccination among healthcare workers has historically been low. Promotion of influenza immunization in this population can reduce transmission of influenza and increase utilization of influenza immunization among high-risk patients.

Setting:
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, a 300+ doctorr multispecialty group serving the greater Houston area.

Population:
Physicians and employees of Kelsey-Seybold Clinic.

Project Description:
A multimodal campaign to increase influenza immunization rates among Clinic employees has been in place since the 2005-2005 influenza season. Electronic surveys of staff knowledge and attitudes towards vaccination are performed each August, with incentives for the site with the highest percentage of surveys completed. This information is used to modify an annual series of "True/False" emails to all Clinic personnel, which are sent weekly during October. Immunization nurses are provided with logs and declination forms and offer free vaccine to all employees at each site for a period of 6 weeks from October through mid-November. The site with the highest percentage of imfluenza immunization of its healthcare workers recieves the "Cage the Flu Bug" trophy and a pizza party in acnowledgment of its success.

Results/Lessons Learned:
Baseline immunization rates for employees and physicians in 2003-2004 were 36% despite annual offerings of free vaccine. Since the implementation of this annual campaign, rates have steadily increased, to 51% in 2004/05, 56% in 2005/06(with vaccine shortage), and 62% in 2006/07(with delayed vaccine shipments). Individual sites have rates exceeding 100% as the immunization nurse champions at those sites succeed in immunizing "floating" personnel in addition to those permanently onsite.