Connect
MJA
MJA

A pilot study of an influenza vaccination or mask mandate in an Australian tertiary health service

Rhonda L Stuart, Elizabeth E Gillespie and Peter G Kerr
Med J Aust 2014; 200 (2): . || doi: 10.5694/mja13.10947
Published online: 3 February 2014

To the Editor: Health care workers (HCWs) play an important role in influenza prevention. They are at risk of exposure and subsequent illness which can lead to transmission to close contacts and patients.1 Conversely, high HCW influenza vaccination rates can reduce nosocomial influenza, decrease sickness absenteeism and are cost-effective.2,3 Despite this and the increasingly visible voluntary vaccination programs, the rates of influenza vaccination among HCWs in Australia vary between 16.3% and 58.7%.4 The Victorian Department of Health has recently stated that HCW vaccination must be > 75% in 2014.


  • 1 Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC.
  • 2 Monash University, Melbourne, VIC.



Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Salgado CD, Giannetta ET, Hayden FG, Farr BM. Preventing nosocomial influenza by improving the vaccine acceptance rate of clinicians. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2004; 25: 923-928.
  • 2. Chan SS. Does vaccinating ED health care workers against influenza reduce sickness absenteeism? Am J Emerg Med 2007; 25: 808-811.
  • 3. Burls A, Jordan R, Barton P, et al. Vaccinating healthcare workers against influenza to protect the vulnerable – is it a good use of healthcare resources? A systematic review of the evidence and an economic evaluation. Vaccine 2006; 24: 4212-4221.
  • 4. Seale H, Macintyre CR. Seasonal influenza vaccination in Australian hospital health care workers: a review. Med J Aust 2011; 195: 336-338. <MJA full text>
  • 5. Poland GA. Mandating influenza vaccination for health care workers: putting patients and professional ethics over personal preference. Vaccine 2010; 28: 5757-5759.

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.