Improvement in Employee Influenza Vaccination by Making It Visible, Accessible and Easy

Abstract

<h3>Background</h3> Attaining high healthcare worker influenza vaccination rates remain an opportunity at some hospitals. Our 136-bed community hospital, part of a large hospital care network, has had the highest employee influenza vaccination declination rate in the system. In 2019, our corporate network instituted a new policy that made it mandatory that staff must make a declaration to accept or decline the vaccine or face unpaid leave. Decliners would be required to wear a mask during flu season. Concerns of a severe flu season, high declination rates, and a new policy necessitated our hospital leadership to address these issues using a different approach. <h3>Methods</h3> Several barriers to compliance were identified, including low visibility and availability of flu vaccine stations, low participation in a peer-to-peer vaccination process, and significant paperwork and delays in vaccine receipt from the pharmacy. For the 2019-20 season, visible influenza vaccine stations were placed by the cafeteria and lobby. Flyers containing schedule of influenza vaccination stations and vaccine information were posted by all time clocks, the employee website and communication boards. Nurses on light duty rounded on all departments and units to administer peer to peer vaccines. Pharmacy removed the paperwork requirement and set aside a bundle specifically for the peer-to-peer program. <h3>Results</h3> The received and declination rate for the 2018-2019 season was 73.4% and 24.7%; for the 2019-2020, it was 79.8% and 17.6%, a 28.7% drop. Declination rate not the highest in the system. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Improving visibility, accessibility, and ease to receive flu vaccine for healthcare workers had a significant effect in decreasing the influenza vaccine declination rate.