Abstract
Objectives. The national influenza vaccination rate among healthcare workers (HCWs) remains low despite clear benefits to patients, coworkers, and families. We sought to evaluate formally the effect of a one-hour time off incentive on attitudes towards influenza vaccination during the 2011-2012 influenza season. Methods. All HCWs at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center were invited to complete an anonymous web-based survey. We described respondents' characteristics and attitudes toward influenza vaccination and determined the relationship of specific attitudes with respondents' acceptance of influenza vaccination, using a 5-point Likert scale. Results. We analyzed survey responses from 154 HCWs employed at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, with a response rate of 8%. Among 121 respondents who reported receiving influenza vaccination, 34 (28%, 95% CI 20–37%) reported agreement with the statement that the time off incentive made a difference in their decision to accept influenza vaccination. Conclusions. Our study provides evidence that modest incentives such as one-hour paid time off will be unlikely to promote influenza vaccination rates within medical facilities. More potent interventions that include mandatory vaccination combined with penalties for noncompliance will likely provide the only means to achieve near-universal influenza vaccination among HCWs.
Highlights
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee recommend that all healthcare workers (HCWs) be vaccinated annually against influenza [1]
After excluding 41 respondents who indicated that they were not HCWs at our facility during the 2011-2012 influenza season, we analyzed survey responses from 154 HCWs employed at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. 132 respondents (86%) reported receiving the influenza vaccine during the 2011-2012 influenza season
HCWs that did not receive influenza vaccination during this time period indicated significantly greater concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the influenza vaccine. These HCWs minimized their personal risk of influenza given their duties as HCWs, compared to respondents that reported a history of vaccination
Summary
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee recommend that all HCWs be vaccinated annually against influenza [1]. Late in the 2010-2011 influenza season, we instituted a novel incentive to promote influenza vaccination, providing one-hour paid time off immediately following receipt of vaccination, and we achieved our target vaccination rate soon after this incentive program was begun. Based on this experience at our medical facility, we sought to evaluate formally the effect of this time off incentive on attitudes towards influenza vaccination during the 2011-2012 influenza season. We sought to identify other attitudes associated with acceptance of influenza vaccination at our medical center
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