National Business Group on Health: Hospitals, Health Care Facilities Should Require Flu Vaccinations for All of Their Employees

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Business Group on Health (NBGH) today issued a strong recommendation that U.S. hospitals and health care facilities require all of their employees be vaccinated annually for influenza.  The NBGH, which represents more than 340 members, mostly large U.S. employers, including 68 of the Fortune 100, says requiring annual influenza (seasonal flu) vaccination will reduce the risk that hospital and health care employees who have not received vaccinations pose to patients, other employees and their families.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 63.5% of health care personnel reported influenza vaccination during the 2010/11 flu season.  Other studies show that one in four health care workers shows evidence of having the flu each year and that 70% of health care personnel continue to work despite having flu-like symptoms.  

Speaking at a press briefing, Helen Darling, President and CEO of the National Business Group on Health, said, "Transmission of seasonal influenza between health care workers and patients is a significant patient and worker safety issue.  Failure to prevent the transmission of seasonal flu between health care workers and patients also increases health costs."

The NBGH released a position statement which states hospitals should require annual flu vaccination of all employees as a condition of employment, unless employees can demonstrate medical contraindications (with physician documentation) or religious objections.  The statement also says employees who invoke either of these exemptions should not engage in direct patient care if they have flu-like symptoms.  Instead, hospitals should either reassign these employees to non-patient care areas or require them to wear masks at all times during flu season when delivering care to patients.  The full position statement is available online at www.businessgrouphealth.org/healthpolicy/statements.

"Requiring flu vaccinations for hospital personnel is the right thing to do," said Darling. "Hospitals have an obligation to prevent the spread of infection to patients in their care.  It's a fitness for duty issue.  At the same time, patients have the right to assume that health care personnel and the organizations that employ them will take all reasonable measures to reduce and avoid transmission of preventable diseases including the flu." 

Importantly, many of the leading physician, hospital and health care organizations support policies requiring flu vaccination of hospital personnel including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, American Hospital Association, Department of Defense and the National Patient Safety Foundation.

Comments from other health and hospital authorities speaking at the press briefing:

Dr. John Santa, Director, Health Ratings Center, Consumer Reports, commented, "Some health-care workers have complained that requiring vaccination undermines their privacy and individual rights. But patients expect health-care workers to take reasonable steps to protect them from disease, and the flu vaccine seems a very low risk preventive step to take.  The NBGH statement offers reasonable exemption approaches.  And putting patients first seems what being a health-care professional is all about."

Jeannette Clough, President and CEO, Mount Auburn Hospital and former board member of the American Hospital Association (AHA), commented, "As the health care delivery community strives to achieve a patient-centered standard of care, AHA recognizes that the foundation for that care begins with hospitals doing everything they can to provide a safe environment. We believe that each hospital should have a policy in place requiring a robust and comprehensive flu vaccination program."

About the National Business Group on Health
The National Business Group on Health is the nation's only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers' perspective on national health policy issues and providing practical solutions to its members' most important health care problems. The Business Group helps drive today's health agenda while promoting ideas for controlling health care costs, improving patient safety and quality of care, and sharing best practices in health benefits management with senior benefits, HR professionals, and medical directors from leading corporations.  For more information, visit www.businessgrouphealth.org.

SOURCE The National Business Group on Health