Healthcare Worker Immunizations

Immunization Programs in Healthcare Settings

Institutional immunization programs should substantially reduce the number of susceptible healthcare workers in hospitals, County Health Departments, private physicians' offices, nursing homes, schools, laboratories, prisons, mental facilities and first responders. At the same time, the risk for transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases to other workers, patients, and their families should also be reduced.

Any worker exposed to patients is at risk for transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases. Employers should follow federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations are published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report titled Immunization of Healthcare Workers: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC): Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), December 26, 1997; 46(RR-18):1-42

See also: Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Personnel, Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices: MMWR, February 24, 2006; 55(RR02):1-16

Erratum: Vol. 55, No. RR-2: In the MMWR Recommendations and Reports, Influenza Vaccination of Health-Care Personnel: Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an error occurred on page 9 in the section on LAIV storage. The first sentence of the paragraph should read, "LAIV must be stored at 5° F (-15° C) or colder."