By Mary Gavinski
Chief Medical Officer
Community Care

What do parents and health care providers have in common? We’re both more likely to make sure that those in our care get a flu shot than to have one ourselves.

Physicians and other health care workers have a lower-than-expected vaccination rate – fewer than two in five actually receive it, according to the American Medical Association. We need to do better, not only for ourselves, but also for those entrusted to our care.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention names all of us involved in direct patient care among the high priority groups to receive the flu vaccination, as well as other immunizations. In fact, the Infectious Diseases Society of America is calling for the recommendation for health care workers to get a flu shot to be upgraded to a requirement for physicians and others in health care, unless an individual opts out on religious, philosophical or medical grounds.

Why we should is abundantly clear. The flu is highly contagious and each year more than 45,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations result from common influenza and pneumonia. Ninety percent of these deaths are among people 65 and older.  We can reduce the flu’s transmission to our patients and minimize spreading it among our staff. Besides that, we can serve as an example to our patients and their families.

Influenza is most common in the United States from December to April. That means the best time to get the flu shot is from early October to mid-November. The vaccine begins to protect you one – two weeks after taking the shot.

The good news is that flu vaccine is expected to be abundant this year. Supply disruptions that have been obstacles in the past are not expected. And this year, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations issued new standard requiring hospitals and long-term care facilities to offer the flu shot to employees and volunteers with close patient contact.

While we’re at it, we should take the one-time vaccination for pneumococcal pneumonia and make sure we are current with our booster shots for diptheria, tetanus and pertussis. These are all highly contagious diseases and there have been recent resurgences of both tetanus and pertussiss. Vaccination is highly effective in preventing their occurrence.

We’ve found that when health care workers and others who serve our participants are encouraged, they are eager to be immunized. Sometimes we make an immunization drive fun by holding a contest, but often honest information is all our staff needs to roll up their sleeves for their shots.