The Flu Vaccination Increase Compliance

To get the flu vaccine or not to get the flu vaccine? This is a huge controversial question millions of Americans today ask themselves every year. There are many myths that come along with the topic of the flu vaccine that lead to people questioning the effectiveness of the medication. Safety for our families and loved ones is what we aim to achieve, but what are the pros and cons of this vaccine? What are the consequences and what are myths, but most importantly: what are the reasons we should get it in the first place? In this paper you will learn the many reasons for the flu vaccination and how it affects different populations beginning with children all the way to the elderly population. First of all, what is the flu

Every fall season we hear the question; did you get your flu shot yet? It is supposed to protect you from that nasty flu virus that circulates our communities during the fall and winter months. But, did you know that in 2011 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Adverse Event Reporting Systems Website (AERS) reported 51 deaths caused by the flu vaccine in the United States (U.S.) (CDC,2012). According to National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), as of July 2012 there have been more than 84,000 reports of adverse reactions, 1000 vaccine related deaths and over 1600 cases of Guillain- Barre syndrome, a acute form of paralysis, triggered by the vaccine (NVIC.ORG).

To increase patient and hcw safety, health care workers should be mandate to get vaccination. Hcw are more at risk to get infection because of their contact with patient and then to spread it to patients, specially patients who are susceptible to the infection (CITATION). Influenza symptoms appears within 1-4 days. Before even hcw workes know that they have influenza infection and they are contagious, they may spread the infection to patient . Also, if hcw are infected, it will cause impact on their mental and physical functioning. Two randomly conducted studies have supported that mandatory influenza vaccination for hcw helped in decreasing death rate upto 44% in nursing home residents (Ottenberg, 2011). Potter et. al. identified that because of increased staff vaccination mortality rate reduced from 17% to 10% (Suillivan, 2010). The other fact which can effect patient safety due to low rate of vaccination is absenteeism of hcw during influenza epidemic.

Vaccinations have been a topic of controversy among various populations for decades. The controversy exists around the decision to be vaccinated for certain contagious diseases or to omit receiving vaccinations for various reasons including those of medical, ethical, and religious derivation. The profession of healthcare faces a particular obstacle in regard to annual vaccinations against influenza. This review will discuss the following ethical debate: Is it ethical to mandate health care workers to receive annual influenza vaccinations? For the purposes of this review, the term ‘health care worker’ will be defined as any person who is employed by a health care institution and participates in personal interactions with patients. Undoubtedly, registered nurses (RNs) are among the most prevalent of all health care workers. This topic was chosen because influenza is a rampant and contagious respiratory virus that carries the potential to infect anyone. According the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (2014), approximately 5 to 15 percent of the United States population becomes infected with influenza annually and roughly 200,000 people are hospitalized each year due to influenza. Clearly, influenza generates havoc for many people; however, the virus can be largely prevented by receiving an annual vaccination. Annual influenza vaccinations have been rendered the best way to prevent seasonal influenza and have also been deemed safe (CDC, 2014). Health care workers

For the past ten years, we at Virginia Mason Medical Center have been implementing mandatory influenza vaccination. This is due to the flu vaccination being able to reduce flu illnesses and prevent flu-related hospitalizations. According to the Center for Control and Disease (CDC, 2014) during 2012-2013, an estimated 45% of the U.S population got vaccinated, helping to prevent an estimated 6.6 million flu-related illness, with 3.2 million flu-related medical visits, almost 80,000 hospitalizations and roughly $87 billion dollars in total economic burden. Influenza is extremely contagious and each year on an average 5%-20% of the U.S population get the flu with tens of thousands die from a flu-related illness. Therefore, many health cares setting along with Virginia Mason Medical Center is mandating all their healthcare workers to get the influenza vaccination. Consequently, making annual influenza vaccination requirement for healthcare workers a continuing and debatable health topic. The potential of getting the vaccination have great benefits to healthcare professionals, their patients, and their families by

In recent years encouragement to get flu shots has become a yearly mantra. Elderly, children six months to two years, health care workers and immune-deficient people are urged in the strongest terms to go to their doctors or clinics and get a flu shot. This group encompasses about 98 million people. In the fall of 2004 this was in the forefront of American and to some extent the Western World media with the shortage of this flu seasons vaccine. Current medical wisdom states that flu shots are safe, effective and prevent mortality. A recent study published by The Journal of the American Medicine Association (JAMA) has brought the current wisdom into question. On February 14, 2005 JAMA

Flu/influenza is a leading pressure associated with the winter season. It has huge impacts on the external community, providers of direct healthcare services and a wide range of health and social services that supports people at risk. This policy brief is directed towards the complete mitigation of vaccine shortage that was encountered in the 2004-2005 flu season in the United States. There is a need to develop program that would address these problems, implement vaccination programs that would place priorities on accessibility to the population at risk, and the entire community, providing resilience for the entire country during the forthcoming flu season.

Hospital administration considered the strained relationships that could result between the employer and staff and lack of data on mandatory vaccination programs. HMC chose instead to modify their existing vaccination program to include one-on-one influenza and vaccination education, initiate data collection on declinations, and use mobile teams to increase the convenience of vaccination for HCWs (Lynch et al., 2015). Employee compliance could only be achieved by receiving and documenting the vaccination; providing written documentation of a medical exemption from an appropriate healthcare professional, or completing an online influenza educational module followed by a 10-15 minute one-on-one appointment with an employee health nurse or physician (Lynch et al., 2015). The addition of the one-on-one education/training sessions using the “stick” approach resulted in a 50% reduction in declinations for non-medical reasons and an overall HCW vaccination rate increase to 93% (Lynch et al., 2015).

Influenza is a respiratory infection caused by a range of flu virus. The virus is very contagious and can cause mild to severe illness and even death. Droplets spread the virus, especially when infected people cough, sneeze or talk. Touching a contaminated surface or object can also transmit the virus. Getting vaccinated annually is the best method of averting the flu virus. When there is a vaccine shortage, it will be fair and ethical to give the vaccine to the most vulnerable or high-risk members of the society such as; those with asthma, diabetes, and heart diseases, children and the elderly and most importantly health care workers. Selling the vaccine will undermine those at high risk who cannot afford to buy the vaccine. The ethical principles of Utilitarian and egalitarianism are the contending principles for rationing the seasonal flu vaccine.

The leaves have started changing from green to beautiful hues of orange, yellow, brown, and red. Mornings are a bit cooler, and the sky is a bit darker on the walk to the car after work. GET YOUR FLU SHOT TODAY has started appearing on every immediate care clinic, Walgreens, and local pharmacy’s signs in town. Fall is here and so is flu season. Just what does that mean? It means that millions of people across the United States must make several decisions. Doctors decide what recommendations to make to patients. Patients decide if they are going to get the flu vaccines. Retailer must decide how many flu vaccines to order and have in stock. Drug companies and manufactures must predict how many flu vaccinations to produce and distribute.

Each year about 50 employees call in to report that they are sick with the flu. That is 10% of DRS’s workforce. Depending on the severity of the employees symptoms, they may be absent between 1-5 days. The absenteeism interrupts DRS’s regular workflow and causes missed deadlines. This report is in response to the question whether flu shots are effective in preventing the flu and if there is a benefit for in holding a free flu shot clinic at

The winter season is arriving but there is one thing people do not like to discuss much which is also a highly debatable topic. Influenza has arrived upon us this year. and of course, there is much talk about the flu and its effects on how spreadable it is throughout the winters of each year. This year is no different a majority have a fear of getting the flu shot and there are many people that utterly explain reasons and excuses to avoid getting their yearly flu shot. In the perspective of the US, Americans take for granted the valuable

Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. [They] estimate that flu-related hospitalizations since 2010 ranged from 140,000 to 710,000, while flu-related deaths are estimated to have ranged from 12,000 to 56,000. During flu season, flu viruses circulate at higher levels in the U.S. population. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to reduce your risk of getting sick with seasonal flu and spreading it to others. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through that community. (Influenza)

Influenza (the flu) "is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses" (Seasonal flu basics, 2011, CDC). For some individuals, the symptoms of influenza are no worse than the common cold. However, for other individuals, particularly the elderly, the very young, and persons with compromised immune systems, influenza can be deadly. Flu prevention is best achieved through seasonal vaccination. Because the flu strain can change seasonally, or even within a season due to antigenic drift, yearly vaccination is essential for as many people as possible within a given population who can tolerate the vaccine (Seasonal flu basics, 2011, CDC)..

Considerable and reasonable. Do evaluate the business requirements of the policy. Whether it is necessary to allow workers are less likely to be due to the flu vacation, employers must be ready to identify a reasonable business policy interest in this case, the challenged patients, clients, or customers or concerned about. In addition to this, do consider the type of policy that suits the business needs. Some employers to all employees receive a flu shot can implement the required policies. Others are asking people to receive specific categories of staff to patients or individuals with access to the regular flu vaccine, i.e., compromised immune systems. No one else can implement the strongly recommended the flu vaccination policy. Moreover,