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Influenza Vaccination in Long-Term–Care Facilities: Structuring Programs for Success

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Margaret A. McArthur ,
Andrew E. Simor ,
Beverly Campbell  and
Allison McGeer
Margaret A. McArthur*
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Princess Margaret/Mount Sinai Hospitals, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Andrew E. Simor
Affiliation:
Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Beverly Campbell
Affiliation:
Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health Protection Branch, Department of Health and Welfare, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Allison McGeer
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Princess Margaret/Mount Sinai Hospitals, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*
Department of Microbiology, Rm 1460, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
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Abstract

Objectives:

To determine which influenza vaccination program characteristics were associated with high resident vaccination rates in Canadian long-term–care facilities (LTCFs).

Design:

A cross-sectional survey consisting of a mailed questionnaire conducted in spring 1991.

Participants:

All 1,520 Canadian LTCFs for the elderly with at least 25 beds.

Results:

The mean overall influenza vaccination rate in the 1,270 (84%) responding facilities was 79%. In multivariate analysis, the variables significantly associated with increased vaccination rates were: a single nonphysician staff person organizing the program, having more program aspects covered by written policies, the offering of vaccine to all residents, a policy of obtaining consent on admission that was durable for future years rather than repeating consent annually, and automatically administering vaccine to residents whose guardians could not be contacted for consent. Any encouragement to staff to be vaccinated had a significant impact on staff vaccination rates.

Conclusion:

Well-organized influenza vaccination programs increase the influenza vaccination rates of residents in Canadian LTCFs. Facilities need to develop resident vaccination programs further and to focus on vaccinating staff.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 20 , Issue 7 , July 1999 , pp. 499 - 503
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1999

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