Should influenza vaccination be mandatory for healthcare workers?

Yes—Amy Behrman

Advocacy for influenza vaccination begins with recognising the impact of the disease. Globally, seasonal influenza causes an estimated 300 000-500 000 deaths and 3-5 million cases of severe disease every year.1 Methods that distinguish between influenza and other viruses causing influenza-like illnesses estimate that influenza infections and complications cause an average 226 000 hospital admissions annually in the United States, including 3000-49 000 deaths, depending on seasonal severity.2 Influenza vaccines are estimated to prevent thousands of admissions and millions of illnesses annually with current usage.3 4 5

Complications and deaths from influenza are highest in elderly people, infants, and patients with compromised cardiopulmonary or immune systems.1 2 6 These vulnerable populations are most likely to enter healthcare settings and least likely to mount effective immune responses to vaccination.2 6 Influenza vaccines have excellent safety records6 and are most effective (59% reduction in laboratory proved influenza6 and 47-73% reduction in influenza-like illness2) in healthy non-elderly adults, precisely the demographic of most healthcare workers.

Nosocomial transmission is well documented.7 Influenza infection control should include, in addition to vaccination, hand hygiene, isolation of infected patients, targeted masking, and leave of absence for healthcare workers with influenza-like illness.8 Vaccination is a keystone intervention, differing from others by reducing risk in all encounters without repeated effort or time from busy healthcare workers.

Annual vaccination is therefore widely recommended to reduce the risk of healthcare acquired influenza.2 8 9 10 11 12 13 Advocates and opponents of mandatory vaccination share goals of enhancing patient and staff safety. Disagreements centre on evidence of efficacy, ethical concerns, and how best to …