Every year, tens of thousands of people in the United States will contract influenza. Because of this reality, it is strongly recommended that all individuals age 6 months and older receive an annual flu immunization—particularly those in high-risk populations.
Each year, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) makes recommendations, including those for high-risk populations. Healthcare personnel are a particularly important segment of the high-risk population because they interact with patients: folks whose immune systems may already be fragile. And that fragility goes both ways. Healthcare personnel also put themselves—and their families—at greater risk for contracting influenza, given their exposure to illness.
On October 20, 2007, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) convened a roundtable of healthcare personnel to discuss ways to increase the influenza immunization rates of healthcare personnel. The roundtable, which was supported by an unrestricted educational grant from CSL Biotherapies, brought together representatives from across the spectrum of healthcare industries, from acute to post-acute care settings to share insights and best practices with the assembled group. From the roundtable meeting, NFID developed a report on best practices for provider reference and use.