Mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination of health care workers: a way forward to improving influenza vaccination rates

Abstract Vaccine-preventable diseases cause significant mortality and morbidity. Immunisation of healthcare workers (HCW) plays a significant role in preventing nosocomial transmission in healthcare settings. Non-immune HCW put themselves, their contacts and patients at risk of preventable diseases. Achieving 100% protection for HCW and patients should be an achievable target; however, voluntary vaccination programs fail to achieve this rate of protection. This is true in the case of influenza, which contributes to the highest mortality and morbidity of any vaccine-preventable disease. Despite available safe, effective vaccines for seasonal influenza and recommendations by local and international authoritative bodies, the annual influenza vaccination rates amongst HCW remain disappointingly low despite recommendations by local and international authoritative bodies. Voluntary strategies of increasing access, offers of free vaccines, education, and highly visible publicity campaigns have had limited success. In the US, more innovative ideas have been proposed to complement these steps.We discuss such strategies including mandatory influenza vaccination and its possible implementation.