BMJ  2006;333:1241 (16 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.39010.581354.55 (published 1 December 2006)

Research

Effectiveness of an influenza vaccine programme for care home staff to prevent death, morbidity, and health service use among residents: cluster randomised controlled trial

¹ University College London Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, London NW3 2PF, ² Westminster Healthcare, Leatherhead, Surrey, ³ Medical Research Council Epidemiology Resource Centre, Southampton General Hospital, ⁴ Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, London

Objective To determine whether vaccination of care home staff against influenza indirectly protects residents.

Design Pair matched cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting Large private chain of UK care homes during the winters of 2003-4 and 2004-5.

Participants Nursing home staff (n=1703) and residents (n=2604) in 44 care homes (22 intervention homes and 22 matched control homes).

Interventions Vaccination offered to staff in intervention homes but not in control homes.

Main outcome measures The primary outcome was all cause mortality of residents. Secondary outcomes were influenza-like illness and health service use in residents.

Results In 2003-4 vaccine coverage in full time staff was 48.2% (407/884) in intervention homes and 5.9% (51/859) in control homes. In 2004-5 uptake rates were 43.2% (365/844) and 3.5% (28/800). National influenza rates were substantially below average in 2004-5. In the 2003-4 period of influenza activity significant decreases were found in mortality of residents in intervention homes compared with control homes (rate difference –5.0 per 100 residents, 95% confidence interval –7.0 to –2.0) and in influenza-like illness (P=0.004), consultations with general practitioners for influenza-like illness (P=0.008), and admissions to hospital with influenza-like illness (P=0.009). No significant differences were found in 2004-5 or during periods of no influenza activity in 2003-4.

Conclusions Vaccinating care home staff against influenza can prevent deaths, health service use, and influenza-like illness in residents during periods of moderate influenza activity.

Trial registration National Research Register N0530147256.

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• Sacks, H. S (2007). Encouraging influenza vaccination for nursing home staff reduced mortality and influenza like illness in the residents. Evid. Based Med. 12: 81-81 [Full text]  
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