Majority of Healthcare Workers Support Compulsory Influenza Vaccinations

Most healthcare workers (HCWs) approve of mandatory influenza vaccines for hospital employees, and their numbers could be further boosted by giving opponents more information, suggests a new study.

Researchers at Children's Mercy Hospital (Kansas City, MO, USA) reviewed a Web-based questionnaire completed by 585 randomly selected physicians, nurses, and other hospital employees of Children's Mercy Hospital from April to mid-May 2009, regarding their immunization histories, knowledge of the vaccine, and attitudes toward compulsory vaccinations for HCWs. The results showed that 70% of employees favored mandatory influenza vaccination for HCWs who had no medical contraindications. Of the 391 respondents in that category, 363 (94%) had been immunized and were also more likely to have had their own children vaccinated. Of the 81 participants (15%) whom opposed, 45 had been vaccinated. There was no significant difference between those for or against mandatory immunizations in the belief that influenza is a hazard for their pediatric patients; however, of those who disapproved of obligatory immunizations, 29% believed themselves to be at high risk of contracting influenza, compared with 51% of those in favor of mandatory vaccination.

The authors claim that institutional mandates are ethically defensible for three reasons: the vaccine is effective, voluntary programs fall short, and compulsory immunization would likely improve patient safety by protecting pediatric and other populations in hospital settings. Opponents of mandatory immunization, according to the authors, fall into two categories; those in one group fully comprehend the value and safety of widespread vaccinations but still favor individual choice, and those in the other segment have fears and misconceptions about the vaccine itself. The study was published in the January 2010 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

"Influenza is responsible for an estimated 36,000 deaths and 226,000 hospitalizations every year in the United States,” said lead author John Lantos, M.D., from the Children's Mercy Bioethics Center. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all [HCWs] receive an annual influenza immunization to protect themselves and their patients. Nevertheless, only 40% of HCWs in the United States get immunized every year.”

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