Striving for 90%: HHS seeks a rate hike
A working group of the National Vaccine Advisory Group, which advises the Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), developed the following recommendations to improve influenza vaccination of health care workers. They were all recently approved by the full committee and are now under consideration for adoption by the HHS.
Recommendation 1: The [working group] recommends that health care employers and facilities establish comprehensive influenza infection prevention programs as recommended by the CDC as an essential step for all health care employers and facilities to achieve the Healthy People 2020 influenza vaccine coverage goal of 90%. The [working group] recommends that the ASH strongly urge all HCE and facilities to adopt these recommendations.
Recommendation 2: [The working group] recommends that health care employers and facilities integrate influenza vaccination programs into their existing infection prevention programs or occupational health programs. [The working group] also recommends that the Assistant Secretary of Health assure that this recommendation is implemented in HHS facilities and services (including the Public Health Service, HHS staff and Federally Qualified Health Centers) and strongly urges all health care employers and facilities to do the same.
Recommendation 3: The [working group] recommends that the ASH encourage CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to continue efforts to standardize the methodology used to measure HCP influenza vaccination rates across settings linking vaccine coverage levels and quality improvement activities. The Assistant Secretary of Health should also work with CMS to implement incentives, penalties, or requirements that facilitate adoption of this recommendation.
Recommendation 4: For those health care employers and facilities that have implemented Recommendations 1, 2 and 3 above and cannot achieve and maintain the Healthy People 2020 goal of 90% influenza vaccination coverage of health care personnel in an efficient and timely manner, the [working group] recommends that health care employers and facilities strongly consider an employer requirement for influenza immunization. [The working group] also recommends that the Assistant Secretary for Health assure that this recommendation is implemented in HHS facilities and services (including the Public Health Service, HHS staff and Federally Qualified Health Centers) and urge all other health care employers and facilities to do the same.
Recommendation 5: [The working group] recommends that the Assistant Secretary for Health encourage ongoing efforts to develop new and improved influenza vaccines and vaccine technologies including support for research, development, and licensure of influenza vaccines with improved immunogenicity and duration of immunity, as well as steps that improve the immunogenicity and rapid production of existing influenza vaccines.
A working group of the National Vaccine Advisory Group, which advises the Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), developed the following recommendations to improve influenza vaccination of health care workers. They were all recently approved by the full committee and are now under consideration for adoption by the HHS.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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