JCR’s 2009-2010 Flu Vaccination Challenge Gaining Momentum

• 12/10/2009
• Author: Jim Parker
• Category: Perspectives on Patient Safety Blog
• 17398 Views
• 0 Comments
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Flu season is now in full bloom and I hope all our readers are weathering the storm, both in their roles as health care providers and as potential patients! 
 
Of course, the most effective way to ensure that you, your patients, and your families are safe from influenza is to be vaccinated. Joint Commission standards require accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and long term care organizations to offer the flu vaccine annually on site to staff and licensed independent practitioners. Joint Commission Resources has been encouraging health care workers to get vaccinated through its Flu Vaccination Challenge. This is the challenge’s second year. In the 2008/2009 flu season, the challenge helped vaccinate nearly 1.1 million health care workers in more than 1,700 participating organizations. More than 78 percent of the participating organizations met the challenge’s target, which was a vaccination rate of 43 percent or higher.
 
For the 2009/2010 season, the challenge is even more ambitious. Health care organizations are being asked to achieve vaccination rates of 65, 75, or 90 percent, based on the organization’s rate the previous year.  Be sure to visit the Flu Vaccination Challenge Web site for more details, including a document discussing myths and facts about influenza vaccination.
 
The Flu Vaccination Challenge is designed to improve vaccination rates for the seasonal influenza season. This year, matters have been complicated by the emergence of the H1N1 strain. Millions of people have been affected, with cases running the spectrum from very mild to fatal. Health care workers are on the list of high-risk groups that are a priority for H1N1 vaccination. Check with your local health department about the availability of the H1N1 vaccine in your area.
 
Another way JCR is helping organizations raise awareness about influenza vaccination is by offering new buttons that read, “I got my flu shot. Did you?”
 
Organizations could distribute these buttons to employees who become vaccinated, as a fun incentive to doing the right thing for themselves and virtually everyone with whom they come into contact during the course of the day.