Influenza vaccination varies across occupation with workers in the healthcare field reporting the highest rate of vaccination adherence, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
For the study, researchers examined the results of a 2013 phone survey involving thousands of respondents across 21 states. Healthcare workers displayed the highest rate of influenza vaccination with 62.3 percent of respondents employed in this field reporting immunization. Still, fewer than 30 percent of workers in other professions that frequently come into contact with the public like food service, sales and personal care reported flu vaccine coverage. At 18.7 percent, construction workers reported the lowest rate of flu vaccine adherence.
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"Increasing influenza vaccination can reduce the spread of influenza in the workplace," said Linda Greene, RN, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. "This is especially important for healthcare personnel, public health responders, and people in other occupations who are more likely to be exposed to influenza and possibly spread it to patients or people who are at high risk of serious flu complications."
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