New Online Tool Focuses On Improving Influenza Immunization Rates For Health Professionals

Recognizing that influenza infection in health care workers can lead to outbreaks with serious consequences for patients, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has launched an initiative for pharmacists to improve influenza immunization rates among healthcare workers. Health care workers can acquire influenza and unwittingly transmit the virus to patients, other health care workers, and members of their household and the community a day or two before symptoms appear.

ASHP’s new online resource, http://www.YouCanStopTheFlu.com, was developed by a panel of pharmacist immunization experts to engage pharmacists as advocates to improve seasonal influenza immunization rates of health care workers in their health systems. The initiative is supported by a grant from CSL Biotherapies.

The site features a robust resource center with links to recommendations and updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Joint Commission, as well as list-serves to keep pharmacists informed about the latest immunization trends and vaccine shortages. An Immunization Campaign Toolkit provides sample forms, fact sheets, signs, planning checklists, and other practical tools pharmacists can use to lead an immunization campaign at their own health system. Pharmacists can also share success stories of effective strategies with their colleagues via an online submission form.

Influenza kills approximately 36,000 people and causes 226,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States.1,2 Influenza immunization rates in health care workers are low (36 percent to 42 percent) despite evidence of the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine in preventing illness in staff and patients and reducing employee absenteeism. Annual influenza immunization is recommended for health care workers by the CDC to minimize the risk of infection of workers and transmission of infection to vulnerable patients.3

As part of this initiative, the ASHP Research and Education Foundation will provide two $25,000 demonstration grants to support research that focuses on pharmacists’ roles in promoting immunization against seasonal influenza. Applications will be available on the ASHP Foundation Web site (http://www.ashpfoundation.org) on October 1, 2009 . The application deadline is April 16, 2010 .

As experts and educators in safe and effective medication use, pharmacists are uniquely qualified to lead efforts within health systems to encourage influenza immunization of health care workers. Public health campaigns such as these are the first line of defense against a potentially deadly illness.

References

1. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Influenza immunization among health care personnel: call to action. Bethesda, MD: http://www.nfid.org/pdf/publications/fluhealthcarecta08.pdf.

2. Fiore AE, Shay DK, Broder K et al. Prevention and control of seasonal influenza with vaccines: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2009. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2009(Jul 24); 58(early release):1-52. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr58e0724a1.htm

3. Pearson ML, Bridges CB, Harper SA et al. Influenza vaccination of health-care personnel: recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2006; 55(RR-2):1-16. Available here.

Source
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists