Six Years Later: Lessons Learned From a Healthcare Personnel Immunization Effort

Background: In 2005, low influenza vaccination rates among healthcare personnel increasingly was a concern in the immunization community and beyond.  That year, the Maryland Partnership for Prevention and Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene launched the Maryland Healthcare Workers Influenza Initiative.  Six years later, the initiative has quadrupled in participation and now addresses all vaccinations recommended for healthcare personnel.  Maryland has one of the longest-running statewide healthcare personnel vaccination projects in the country.  A retrospective, including change in participation, vaccination rates, and policies, will be presented.  

Setting: Healthcare facilities

Population: Healthcare personnel

Project Description: The Maryland Healthcare Personnel Immunization Initiative provides educational materials, technical assistance, and mini-grants to support facilities’ efforts to increase vaccination rates among staff and volunteers.  The Initiative enlists the endorsement and support of professional associations, government agencies, and other stakeholders in promoting the initiative.  Vaccination rates of participants are tracked and reported at the end of the initiative.  Each year, the program has changed to meet the evolution of the issue and needs of participants.

Results/Lessons Learned:  In 2005, only 40 facilities signed up to participate in the initiative.  In 2010, 159 facilities are participating. In these six years, the program has expanded to promote all vaccinations recommended for healthcare personnel.  Increased local and national attention and formal endorsement by professional associations has inspired in increased participation in the program.  When the program began, the participants’ survey did not query about mandatory signing of declination forms or policies that required flu vaccination of staff.  This year’s survey queried about mandatory policies, with two respondents reporting that they have issued mandates.  A retrospective of Maryland’s healthcare facilitates’ practices and expansion of the initiative will be presented, including number of participants, facility-specific vaccination rates, rate changes over previous years, use of declination forms, and implementation of mandates.