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What, in Fact, Is the Evidence That Vaccinating Healthcare Workers against Seasonal Influenza Protects Their Patients? A Critical Review
Author
Source
International Journal of Family Medicine
Issue
Vol. 2012, Issue 2012 (31 Dec. 2012), pp.1-6, 6 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2012-11-11
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
6
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Background and Methods.
Vaccination of all healthcare workers is widely recommended by health authorities and medical institutions and support for mandatory vaccination is increasing.
This paper presents the relevant literature and examines the evidence for patient benefit from healthcare worker vaccination.
Articles identified by Medline searches and citation lists were inspected for internal and external validity.
Emphasis was put on RCTs.
The literature on self-protection from vaccination is also presented.
Results.
Published research shows that personal benefit from vaccinating healthy nonelderly adults is small and there is no evidence that it is any different for HCWs.
The studies aiming to prove the widespread belief that healthcare worker vaccination decreases patient morbidity and mortality are heavily flawed and the recommendations for vaccination biased.
No reliable published evidence shows that healthcare workers' vaccination has substantial benefit for their patients—not in reducing patient morbidity or mortality and not even in increasing patient vaccination rates.
Conclusion.
The arguments for uniform healthcare worker influenza vaccination are not supported by existing literature.
The decision whether to get vaccinated should, except possibly in extreme situations, be that of the individual healthcare worker, without legal, institutional, or peer coercion.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Abramson, Zvi Howard. 2012. What, in Fact, Is the Evidence That Vaccinating Healthcare Workers against Seasonal Influenza Protects Their Patients? A Critical Review. International Journal of Family Medicine،Vol. 2012, no. 2012, pp.1-6.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-454350
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Abramson, Zvi Howard. What, in Fact, Is the Evidence That Vaccinating Healthcare Workers against Seasonal Influenza Protects Their Patients? A Critical Review. International Journal of Family Medicine No. 2012 (2012), pp.1-6.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-454350
American Medical Association (AMA)
Abramson, Zvi Howard. What, in Fact, Is the Evidence That Vaccinating Healthcare Workers against Seasonal Influenza Protects Their Patients? A Critical Review. International Journal of Family Medicine. 2012. Vol. 2012, no. 2012, pp.1-6.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-454350
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-454350