Preparing For That Other Season

Along with the holiday season comes the far less welcome influenza season, with flu activity in the United States generally peaking in January. 

Influenza affects thousands across the US each year, and costs businesses approximately $10.4 billion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates from 3,000 to 49,000 flu-related deaths per year in the past three decades and over 800 flu-deaths in children since 2004. Fortunately, most healthy individuals recover from flu within two weeks, but people with weakened immune systems, older adults, infants and pregnant women are more vulnerable to serious complications. This can include pneumonia, ear and sinus infections, and the worsening of conditions like congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes.

It’s clear that the more people we vaccinate the more people we can protect from flu and flu-related complications. One CDC study concluded that flu vaccination could prevent an estimated 13.6 million flu cases, 5.8 million medical visits and nearly 113,000 flu-related hospitalizations in the U.S. over a six-year period (2005-2011). As well as recommending that everyone who is at least six months old should be vaccinated for influenza, the CDC recommends that all US healthcare workers get vaccinated annually against flu.

In 2007-2008 the national average for healthcare worker vaccination was a paltry 42%. The vaccination rate for healthcare workers is now estimated at 72% for the 2012-2013 season, a heartening increase. While improvements in vaccination rates among healthcare workers are promising, health care providers must do better if we’re to truly honor our commitment as medical professionals to ‘first do no harm.’ We must ensure our patients are not exposed to influenza while under our care.

More and more healthcare providers are mandating influenza vaccination for their health care workers in order to ensure patients and families are protected. Since 2009, MemorialCare has implemented a policy requiring all employees and affiliated physicians are either vaccinated for influenza or wear a surgical mask throughout the flu season at all health system sites. This year, MemorialCare achieved an 88% employee vaccination rate. Coupled with masking requirements for unvaccinated caregivers, this helps ensure that patients and families are further protected from contracting influenza while visiting health system sites. 

To achieve better vaccination rates, healthcare providers need to make it as easy as possible for employees and physicians to get vaccinated. This includes providing free, onsite flu vaccine clinics and making egg-free vaccine available for those with egg allergies. Those who decline vaccination for religious, health or personal reasons, have the alternative of wearing a surgical mask in health care facilities throughout the flu season — generally from December to March. Since the flu virus is spread by airborne droplets, masking helps minimize the spread.

Dispelling common myths and educating employees about the benefits of vaccination is essential. People are often surprised to learn that some individuals can be infected with the flu virus but display no symptoms, meanwhile they may spread the virus to others. Those who do ultimately experience flu symptoms can be infecting others in the early stages, before they personally experience any symptoms, and for up to seven days after becoming sick.

Healthcare providers must draw on the latest evidence about how to prevent the spread of influenza and protect all patients from influenza-related complications and mortality. In addition, we must do all we can to prevent staff and physicians from being infected with flu. This means nothing less than ensuring every employee and physician providing care at health sites is either vaccinated against influenza or wears a mask to protect against infection. This flu season, the gift that all healthcare workers can give their patients and families, is assurance that we are taking every step possible to protect them from infection.

Tammie McMann Brailsford is Executive Vice President and chief operations officer for MemorialCare Health System in Orange County and Los Angeles County. She is a member of the Payers & Providers editorial board.