Influenza vaccination for health care workers

Abstract

The evidence to support the vaccination of health care workers is robust. In a recent systematic review Burls and colleagues 5 concluded that influenza vaccination is highly effective in health care workers with minimal adverse effects, and that it protects them and provides indirect protection to people at high risk of developing complications from influenza. Another recent study by Hayward and colleagues 6 used a pair matched cluster randomised control trial design and found that vaccinating aged care facility staff can prevent deaths, health service use, influenza like illness and hospital admissions in residents during periods of moderate influenza activity.