The seven steps to success: how to increase seasonal influenza vaccination in secondary care healthcare workers.

Abstract

Background: Seasonal influenza (flu) vaccination uptake in healthcare workers has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. There is merit in revisiting learning from pre-pandemic initiatives that doubled flu vaccine uptake in healthcare workers across London's trusts.

Methods: In 2019, the authors convened a panel of flu leads from 36 London trusts. Using a Delphi method, the authors conducted 2 rounds of self-administered questionnaires completed electronically and a third round of a face-to-face meeting where paper questionnaires were distributed to the flu leads. Consensus was reached when ≥75% of responses showed strong (dis)agreement/(dis)agreement on a Likert scale.

Results: There were 34, 33 and 24 responses to the rounds respectively. The authors identified seven different interventions that increased uptake among healthcare workers, including accessibility, visible senior leadership, incentives, one-to-one conversations and peer vaccinators.

Conclusion: The Delphi method survey is a useful technique to elicit learning from frontline staff involved in driving uptake of flu vaccinations among healthcare workers.