The rate of healthcare professionals receiving the influenza vaccination has been on the rise over the past four years, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey.
In 2013-14, 75.2 percent of healthcare professionals reported receiving an influenza vaccine. In 2012-13, the rate was slightly lower at 72 percent. In 2011-12 nearly 67 percent of healthcare professionals received a vaccine, and 63.5 percent received one in 2010-11.
In the most recent year, healthcare professionals in hospitals reported the highest rate of vaccine coverage at 89.6 percent, while those in long-term care reported the lowest rates at 63 percent.
Physicians were the most likely to receive the vaccine (92.2 percent), followed by nurses (90.5 percent), nurse practitioners and physician assistants (89.6 percent), pharmacists (85.7 percent) and "other clinical personnel" (87.4 percent).
In healthcare settings where vaccination coverage was required, 97.8 percent of healthcare professionals received a vaccine, compared to 72.4 percent of professionals in settings where vaccination was not required but promoted. In facilities with no promotion of vaccination, the rate was 47.9 percent.
Most respondents — 77.3 percent — reported receiving the vaccination at work. Facilities offering on-site, free vaccination for more than one day had an 80.4 percent vaccination rate, and those offering on-site vaccination for just one day had a 61.6 percent vaccination rate. Facilities that did not offer on-site vaccinations or did not provide free vaccinations had a vaccination rate of 49 percent.
Acute-care providers were more likely to offer on-site, free vaccinations (75.1 percent) than ambulatory care settings (43 percent), other clinical settings (31.1 percent) and long-term care settings (14.6 percent).
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