CDC, JCAHO Rally on Flu Shots for Health Care Workers

In an effort to optimize influenza infection control in health care facilities and prevent spreading the illness to seriously ill patients, the CDC recently published recommendations that call for immunizing all health care personnel in acute-care hospitals, nursing homes and other skilled nursing facilities, physicians' offices, urgent care centers, and outpatient clinics against the disease. Also targeted are home health care workers and individuals providing emergency medical services.

The new recommendations, which were jointly developed by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, and its Healthcare Infection Control Practices Committee, offer evidence-based strategies to boost immunization rates. The recommendations appear in the Feb. 24 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

In addition, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has released a proposed new standard that would require accredited health care facilities to offer flu vaccinations to all staff members, volunteers and licensed independent health professionals.

Despite research demonstrating the benefits of immunizing health care workers against flu (e.g., improved patient outcomes, decreased staff absenteeism) immunization rates among this population remain below 50 percent, according to CDC statistics. Both the CDC and JCAHO urge health care facilities and organizations to

The CDC further recommends that each facility use its level of flu vaccination coverage as one measure in a patient safety/quality improvement program; JCAHO recommends implementing specific strategies to enhance immunization rates.

Also in February, ACIP voted to recommend expanding routine pediatric influenza vaccinations to include all children ages 6 months to 5 years. The previous recommendation called for routine immunization of children 6 months to 23 months old, with children 2 years to 5 years old immunized only if they were at increased risk for complications from flu.

The committee also voted to recommend expanding routine vaccinations for household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children between 24 months and 59 months old. The previous recommendation had covered household contacts and caregivers only for children 6 months to 23 months old.

The CDC is expected to approve and release the updated children's recommendations by late April or early May.