TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of mandatory vaccination of healthcare personnel on rates of influenza and other viral respiratory pathogens
AU - Simberkoff, Michael S.
AU - Rattigan, Susan M.
AU - Gaydos, Charlotte A.
AU - Gibert, Cynthia L.
AU - Gorse, Geoffrey J.
AU - Nyquist, Ann Christine
AU - Price, Connie S.
AU - Reich, Nicholas
AU - Rodriguez-Barradas, Maria C.
AU - Bessesen, Mary
AU - Brown, Alexandria
AU - Cummings, Derek A.T.
AU - Radonovich, Lewis J.
AU - Perl, Trish M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2021.
PY - 2022/9/5
Y1 - 2022/9/5
N2 - Objective: The implementation of mandatory influenza vaccination policies among healthcare personnel (HCP) is controversial. Thus, we examined the affect of mandatory influenza vaccination policies among HCP working in outpatient settings. Setting: Four Veterans' Affairs (VA) health systems and three non-VA medical centers. Methods: We analyzed rates of influenza and other viral causes of respiratory infections among HCP working in outpatient sites at 4 VA health systems without mandatory influenza vaccination policies and 3 non-VA health systems with mandatory influenza vaccination policies. Results: Influenza vaccination was associated with a decreased risk of influenza (odds ratio, 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.22) but an increased risk of other respiratory viral infections (incidence rate ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.02-1.57). Conclusions: Our fitted regression models suggest that if influenza vaccination rates in clinics where vaccination was not mandated had equalled those where vaccine was mandated, HCP influenza infections would have been reduced by 52.1% (95% CI, 51.3%-53.0%). These observations, their possible causes, and additional strategies to reduce influenza and other viral respiratory illnesses among HCP working in ambulatory clinics warrant further investigation.
AB - Objective: The implementation of mandatory influenza vaccination policies among healthcare personnel (HCP) is controversial. Thus, we examined the affect of mandatory influenza vaccination policies among HCP working in outpatient settings. Setting: Four Veterans' Affairs (VA) health systems and three non-VA medical centers. Methods: We analyzed rates of influenza and other viral causes of respiratory infections among HCP working in outpatient sites at 4 VA health systems without mandatory influenza vaccination policies and 3 non-VA health systems with mandatory influenza vaccination policies. Results: Influenza vaccination was associated with a decreased risk of influenza (odds ratio, 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.22) but an increased risk of other respiratory viral infections (incidence rate ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.02-1.57). Conclusions: Our fitted regression models suggest that if influenza vaccination rates in clinics where vaccination was not mandated had equalled those where vaccine was mandated, HCP influenza infections would have been reduced by 52.1% (95% CI, 51.3%-53.0%). These observations, their possible causes, and additional strategies to reduce influenza and other viral respiratory illnesses among HCP working in ambulatory clinics warrant further investigation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85112361885&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85112361885&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/ice.2021.324
DO - 10.1017/ice.2021.324
M3 - Article
C2 - 34350820
AN - SCOPUS:85112361885
SN - 0899-823X
VL - 43
SP - 1216
EP - 1220
JO - Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
JF - Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
IS - 9
ER -