Study finds mandatory flu vaccines for healthcare workers reduce absenteeism
A multi-institutional study, as reported in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, shows that mandatory flu vaccines for healthcare workers improve vaccination rates by as much as 30 percent and reduce absenteeism during critical periods by about six percent. Further, vaccinated healthcare workers had a 30 percent reduction in absenteeism compared to non-vaccinated healthcare workers overall. Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) was one of the hospitals that mandated the flu vaccine during the trial.
"By lowering absenteeism, mandatory influenza vaccination can help hospitals maintain optimum staffing levels especially during the busy respiratory illness season," said Chris Nyquist, MD, MPH/MSPH,medical director, Infection Prevention and Control at Children's Hospital Colorado. "This benefits not only the individuals getting vaccinated but also the organization and, ultimately, the patients."
Source: Medical XPress