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BACKGROUND: Healthcare and education professionals are at high risk of influenza infection and influenza transmission due to the nature of their work and the populations they serve. Influenza vaccination can help reduce the risk and severity of illness. Vaccination of workers in regular contact with groups at-risk of severe outcomes from influenza infection (i.e., children and the immunocompromised) is especially important. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, national influenza vaccination coverage was estimated to be 75% for healthcare professionals during the 2013–2014 influenza season; however, this information was not available for education professionals. Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), this analysis estimates influenza vaccination rates for healthcare and education professionals in Florida for 2013.
METHODS: There were 34,186 respondents to the 2013 Florida BRFSS survey; 13,737 were employed in the last year and eligible to be asked their industry and occupation. Industry was ascertained from a question that asked about the business or industry they worked in and occupation was ascertained from a question that asked what kind of work they did. The Standard Occupational Classification System was used to classify occupation. Vaccination status was determined from a question asking if they had “either a flu shot or a flu vaccine that was sprayed in your nose in the past 12 months.” The final sample included 1,756 healthcare and 1,221 education professionals.
RESULTS: Influenza vaccination coverage was estimated to be 40% (Confidence interval [CI]=37–45%) in the Healthcare industry and 26% (CI=21–31%) in the education industry. Among healthcare industry occupations, vaccination coverage was lowest for “other” diagnosing/treating practitioners (23%) and highest for management staff (53%). The highest coverage in an occupation with regular direct patient contact was among registered nurses (49%). Among education occupations, vaccination coverage ranged from 16% among management staff to 40% among “other” educators. Based on these analyses, influenza vaccination coverage among Florida’s healthcare providers was far below national estimates.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, influenza vaccination coverage rates for healthcare and education professionals in Florida were less than ideal. Strategies are needed to increase influenza vaccination coverage among healthcare and education professionals, particularly those in occupations that have direct patient contact with at-risk groups. Other studies have found that influenza vaccination rates are higher when employers require or recommend vaccination. Next steps include using this data to identify under-vaccinated groups and target vaccination efforts which may include encouraging employers to recommend vaccination.