Public Health Agency Releases Data on Health Worker Flu Vaccinations
About 55% of hospital employees in California received influenza vaccinations during the 2008-2009 flu season, according to a study by the California Department of Public Health, Payers & Providers reports.
DPH's findings are similar to a report published last month by the advocacy group Consumers Union, which found that about 52% of California hospital workers received a flu shot in 2009.
Background
In 2006, California began requiring hospitals to offer no-cost flu shots to employees.
Two years later, the state began requiring hospitals to report their vaccination rates and flu shot refusal rates to DPH.
DPH Study Details
The department based its finding on reports from 297 hospitals and surveys of more than 400,000 hospital employees.
The report found that 40.7% of hospitals met DPH's goal of obtaining a 60% flu vaccination rate among hospital workers. The report also noted that vaccination rates often varied by geographic region.
The department concluded that hospitals should implement more initiatives to increase flu vaccination rates among employees (Payers & Providers, 10/7).
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