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Are we supposed to offer influenza vaccination annually?

In Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings Basic Expectations for Safe Care, Appendix A Infection Prevention Checklist for Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care, Page 23 states the following:

F. All DHCP are offered annual influenza vaccination Note: Providing the vaccination at no cost is a strategy that may increase use of this preventive service. ¹

This publication further notes:

Facilities are encouraged to use the Infection Prevention Checklist for Dental Settings (Appendix A) — a companion to the summary guide — to periodically assess practices in their facility and ensure they are meeting the minimum expectations for safe care. In the course of auditing practices, facilities may identify lapses in infection control. If such lapses are identified, efforts should be made to correct the practices, appropriately educate DHCP (if applicable), and determine why the correct practice was not being performed. ¹

Immunization of Health-Care Personnel Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also states:

Program Evaluation • Health-care administrators should include influenza vaccination coverage among HCP as a measure of quality of care (124). • Influenza vaccination rates among HCP within facilities should be regularly measured and reported, and ward-, unit-, and specialty-specific coverage rates should be provided to staff and administration (124). Such information might be useful to promote compliance with vaccination policies. ²

Regarding immunizations for healthcare workers, there may be requirements specific to your state. It is recommended that you contact your State Health Department as that agency may also possibly have input on such requirements. Individual facilities may also have requirements.

Resources

1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Oral Health; March 2016 [http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/pdf/safe-care.pdf Accessed on May 11, 2016]

2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Immunization of Health-Care Personnel Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr6007.pdf Accessed on May 11, 2016.

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