Monday, February 1, 2010
Bill Would Increase Health Worker Vaccination Rates
Washington hospitals are committed to protecting hospital patients from contracting influenza. Today at 1:30 p m., the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee of the Washington State Legislature will consider Senate Bill (SB) 6486 as a major step forward to reach this goal.
The legislation requires health workers to be vaccinated against influenza or use another infection control strategy to protect patients during influenza season. Hospitals will be required to offer the influenza vaccine free of charge to all hospital workers.
Influenza is a serious illness. Each year, 36,000 people die of the seasonal flu. People at greatest risk of developing influenza complications include those with underlying medical conditions and compromised immune systems – in other words, hospital patients.
Multiple studies show health care providers continue to work despite being ill with influenza, exposing patients to the virus. Unvaccinated but infected health care workers can also transmit the flu before the health care worker knows he or she is ill.
Studies show the most effective way to prevent influenza is through vaccination. Vaccination of health care workers is critical to decreasing exposure for high risk patients. Health care organizations instituting policies similar to the legislation’s requirements have achieved staff vaccination rates of 99 percent.
“Despite an aggressive campaign to increase rates of voluntary influenza immunization, only 70 percent of Washington’s hospital workers were vaccinated this year. This means an astonishing three of ten health care workers are unvaccinated and could be spreading the flu to their patients. Washington’s hospitals are committed to eliminating health care acquired infections, and this legislation is an important step toward that goal,” said Taya Briley, RN and General Counsel of the Washington State Hospital Association.
The state legislature has shown a strong interest in decreasing hospital infections. In 2007 a landmark infection rate reporting law was enacted. In 2009 the legislature enacted a law requiring hospitals to screen certain patients for a super-bug called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. Legislation designed to decrease hospital acquired flu infections would be consistent with this trend.
Similar legislation or regulation has been enacted in Alabama and California.
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