Available Online: Final 2014–15 Influenza Vaccination Coverage Estimates for Selected Local Areas, States, and the United States
Authors: Carla Black, Xin Yue, Sarah Ball, Sara Donahue, David Izrael, Marie De Perio, ; Laney, Walter Williams, Megan Lindley, Samuel Graitcer, ; Peng-Jun Lu, Carolyn Bridges, Charles Disogra, John Sokolowski, Deborah Walker, Stacie Greby, Thomas Frieden, Harold Jaffe, Joanne Cono, Chesley Richards, Michael Iademarco, Sonja Rasmussen, Charlotte Kent, Jacqueline Gindler, Teresa Rutledge, Douglas Weatherwax, Teresa Hood, Jude Rutledge, Martha Boyd, Maureen Leahy, Julia Martinroe, Stephen Spriggs, Brian Wood, Quang Doan, Phyllis King, Teresa Moreland, Terraye Starr, Timothy Jones, Matthew Boulton, Ann Arbor, Virginia Mi, Jonathan Caine, Los Fielding, David Angeles, William Fleming, King Halperin, Rima Khabbaz, Patricia Quinlisk, Patrick Remington, William Roper, William Schaffner, Helen Ding, Lenee Blanton, Krista Kniss, Sophie Smith, Desiree Mustaquim, Craig Steffens, Brendan Flannery, Alicia Fry, Joseph Bresee, Teresa Wallis, Rebecca Garten, Xiyan Xu, ; Anwar, Isa Elal, Larisa Gubareva, David Wentworth, Erin Burns, Jacqueline Katz, Daniel Jernigan, Lynnette Brammer
Journal: MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2015)

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends annual influenza vaccination for all health care personnel (HCP) to reduce influenza-related morbidity and mortality among both HCP and their patients and to decrease absenteeism among HCP (1-5).To estimate influenza vaccination coverage among U.S. HCP for the 2014-15 influenza season, CDC conducted an opt-in Internet panel survey of 1,914 HCP during March 31-April 15, 2015.Overall, 77.3% of HCP survey participants reported receiving an influenza vaccination during the 2014-15 season, similar to the 75.2% coverage among HCP reported for the 2013-14 season (6).Vaccination coverage was highest among HCP working in hospitals (90.4%) and lowest among HCP working in longterm care (LTC) settings (63.9%).By occupation, coverage was highest among pharmacists (95.3%) and lowest among assistants and aides (64.4%).Influenza vaccination coverage was highest among HCP who were required by their employer to be vaccinated (96.0%).Among HCP without an employer requirement for vaccination, coverage was higher for HCP working in settings where vaccination was offered on-site at no cost for 1 day (73.6%) or multiple days (83.9%) and lowest among HCP working in settings where vaccine was neither required, promoted, nor offered on-site (44.0%).Comprehensive vaccination strategies that include making vaccine available at no cost at the workplace along with active promotion of vaccination might help increase vaccination coverage among HCP and reduce the risk for influenza to HCP and their patients (1,6,7).The opt-in Internet panel survey was conducted for CDC by Abt Associates, Inc. (Cambridge, Massachusetts) during March 31-April 15, 2015, to provide estimates of influenza vaccination coverage among HCP during the 2014-15 influenza season.Two preexisting national opt-in Internet sources were used to recruit HCP for the survey.Professional clinical HCP (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, allied health professionals, technicians, and technologists) were recruited from the current membership roster of Medscape, a medical website managed by WebMD Health Professional Network.*Medscape's terms of service explicitly permit WebMD Professional Network to contact members about programming, including survey research; members receive an honorarium for completing surveys.HCP in other occupations (e.g., assistants,