The Flu and You
Health Care Worker Flu Vaccination and You
Depending on the severity of the flu season, between 140,000 to 710,000 people in the United States are hospitalized each year for flu-related complications, and between 12,000 to 56,000 people die from these complications.1 Seniors are at especially high risk for severe illness and death related to the flu,1-6 and individuals in long term care facilities are at high risk for severe respiratory illnesses from the flu.7-15 During the 2017-18 flu season, people 65 and older accounted for approximately 58% of influenza-associated hospitalizations.1 recent flu seasons, 80-90% of individuals who died from the flu were 65 years old or older.1
What Are Maryland Health Care Facilities Doing to Protect Patients?
Health care worker (HCW) vaccination can slow or prevent the spread of flu in all health care settings.11-13, 16 Overall, increasing HCW vaccination rates reduces flu-like sickness17, 19, 20 and even death.17-20
In Maryland, hospitals lead the way in HCW vaccination rates, followed by nursing homes and assisted living facilities, as seen in the chart below. Hospitals have higher HCW flu vaccination rates because nearly all hospitals in the state of Maryland require HCW vaccination, but long term care facilities are less likely to require flu vaccinations for employees. The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) continues to work with these facilities to improve HCW vaccination rates.
You can play your part by asking your long term care facility administrator about their HCW vaccination policies.
Click here to find your hospital HCW vaccination rates.
Click here to view a list of Maryland nursing homes and their employee flu vaccination rates.
Click here to view a list of Maryland assisted living facilities and their employee flu vaccination rates.
What Can I Do To Protect Myself Or My Loved One?
You can protect yourself and your loved ones by getting your annual flu shot. Each year the flu season is different and can start as early as October and last as late as May. A yearly flu vaccine from your primary care physician, community health center, or local health clinic can help protect you and your loved ones from the flu. 21
PROTECT YOURSELF. GET A FLU SHOT!
Who's Keeping An Eye On The Situation?
The Maryland Health Care Commission monitors and reports on HCW worker vaccination in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. The MHCC is proud to report that 78% of Maryland HCWs received the flu shot during the 2017-18 flu season, which exceeds the national average of 67.4%. The Maryland health care worker flu vaccination rates from 2009 to 2018 are charted in the figure below.
References
| 1. | CDC. Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Disease Burden of Influenza (October 15, 2018) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/burden.htm |
| 2. | Thompson WW, Weintraub E, Dhankhar P, et al. Estimates of US influenza-associated deaths made using four different methods. Influenza Other Respi Viruses 2009;3:37--49. |
| 3. | CDC. Estimates of deaths associated with seasonal influenza---United States, 1976--2007. MMWR 2010;59:1057--62. |
| 4. | Thompson WW, Shay DK, Weintraub E, et al. Influenza-associated hospitalizations in the United States. JAMA 2004;292:1333--40. |
| 5. | CDC. Prevention and control of influenza with vaccines: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2010. MMWR 2010(No. RR-8). |
| 6. | Jain R, Goldman RD. Novel influenza A(H1N1): clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management. Pediatr Emerg Care 2009;25:791--6. |
| 7. | Malavaud S, Malavaud B, Sandres K, et al. Nosocomial outbreak of influenza virus A (H3N2) infection in a solid organ transplant department. Transplantation 2001;72:535--7. |
| 8. | Maltezou HC, Drancourt M. Nosocomial influenza in children. J Hosp Infect 2003;55:83--91. |
| 9. | Hall CB, Douglas RG Jr. Nosocomial influenza infection as a cause of intercurrent fevers in infants. Pediatrics 1975;55:673--7. |
| 10. | Weinstock DM, Eagan J, Malak SA, et al. Control of influenza A on a bone marrow transplant unit. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2000;21:730--2. |
| 11. | Salgado CD, Giannetta ET, Hayden FG, et al. Preventing nosocomial influenza by improving the vaccine acceptance rate of clinicians. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2004;25:923--8. |
| 12 | Adal KA, Flowers RH, Anglim AM, et al. Prevention of nosocomial influenza. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1996;17:641--8. |
| 13. | Cunney RJ, Bialachowski A, Thornley D, et al. An outbreak of influenza A in a neonatal intensive care unit. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2000;21:449--54. |
| 14. | Bridges CB, Kuehnert MJ, Hall CB. Transmission of influenza: implications for control in health care settings. Clin Infect Dis 2003;37:1094--101. |
| 15. | Sartor C, Zandotti C, Romain F, et al. Disruption of services in an internal medicine unit due to a nosocomial influenza outbreak. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2002;23:615--9. |
| 16. | Saito R, Suzuki H, Oshitani H, et al. The effectiveness of influenza vaccine against influenza a (H3N2) virus infections in nursing homes in Niigata, Japan, during the 1998--1999 and 1999--2000 seasons. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2002;23:82--6. |
| 17. | Lemaitre M, Meret T, Rothan-Tondeur M, et al. Effect of influenza vaccination of nursing home staff on mortality of residents: a cluster-randomized trial. J Am Geriatr Soc 2009;57:1580--6. |
| 18. | Carman WF, Elder AG, Wallace LA, et al. Effects of influenza vaccination of health-care workers on mortality of elderly people in long-term care: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2000;355:93--7. |
| 19. | Hayward AC, Harling R, Wetten S, et al. Effectiveness of an influenza vaccine programme for care home staff to prevent death, morbidity, and health service use among residents: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2006;333:1241. |
| 20. | Potter J, Stott DJ, Roberts MA, et al. Influenza vaccination of health care workers in long-term-care hospitals reduces the mortality of elderly patients. J Infect Dis 1997;175:1--6. |
| 21. | Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). October 15, 2018. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm |
