Low Flu Vaccination Rates for Health Professionals

A continued, concerted effort by health care institutions, employers, insurers and allied professional organizations is essential to improve infl uenza vaccination rates among health care personnel (HCP).* Since the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) published its fi rst “Call to Action” on this topic in 2004, many health care organizations have issued recommendations that HCP receive annual infl uenza vaccine.1-6 Despite these recommendations, infl uenza immunization rates among HCP have not greatly improved. Rates have fl uctuated in recent years, but even at their highest (42 percent in 2004 and 2006), they remain unacceptably low.