Caregivers involved in the annual battle against influenza outbreaks will get an advance peek in a webinar Tuesday at what vaccine options for the 2013-14 flu season will be. Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases will preview the possibilities. The webcast will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. The presentation will include a review of vaccine effectiveness for the 2012-13 campaign.
February 06, 2013
This season's flu strains continue to hit the senior population especially hard, with the majority of deaths and hospitalizations hitting those over the age of 65, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
February 01, 2013
The contentious issue of whether healthcare workers should be required to be vaccinated against the flu gained new ferocity in January. Deaths caused by influenza hit 7.3% the first week of the month, triggering an automatic "epidemic" designation from health officials.
Long-term care facilities are seeing the worst of a nationwide outbreak of a potentially dangerous new strain of norovirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.
January 15, 2013
Some healthcare workers have lost their jobs for refusing the flu vaccine, sparking controversy as the 2013 flu season officially reached epidemic status.
A flurry of recent studies has shown that flu shots don't offer much protection against influenza in elderly people who have received the vaccine, a recent report suggests.
While influenza vaccination rates among healthcare workers have increased overall, fewer long-term care facility employees are being vaccinated, a government survey has found.
July 03, 2012
Let's talk about that controversial topic: mandatory healthcare worker influenza vaccination. I can hear the arguments for both sides already. But I say the case is clear.
May 21, 2012
Despite strong federal and regulatory support for mandatory vaccinations among healthcare workers, the U.S. adult vaccination rate is on the low side, according to a new research brief.
The overall incidence of influenza is on the rise in the United States — particularly in the Midwest — though it is still relatively low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials from Colorado's state health department have proposed mandatory flu vaccinations for all nursing home employees, regardless of religious or personal exceptions.
In what has become the latest positive news about statins, researchers have found they appear to reduce the risk of death in patients hospitalized with the flu.
September 13, 2011
Nursing homes with higher rates of flu vaccinations among direct caregivers have a dramatically lower number of flu outbreaks, a new study finds.
Long-term care professionals had an influenza vaccine compliance rate of 64.4% during last year's flu season, compared with a 71.1% compliance rate among hospital workers, new data shows.
A medical face mask that catches and destroys 99.9% of infectious viruses - and kills them within five minutes - has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The masks have been approved for use in nursing homes and other healthcare settings.
March 04, 2011
The National Quality Forum on Wednesday came out in support of 21 measures to be used to care for both long-term nursing home residents and short-stay patients. These measures will be included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Nursing Home Compare website.
The New Jersey Hospital Association has issued a preparedness guide for nursing homes in the event of an influenza pandemic.
The Joint Commission, an independent healthcare accreditation and certification organization, on Wednesday released guidance for increased healthcare worker influenza vaccinations.
