Despite strong federal and regulatorysupport for mandatory vaccinations among healthcare workers, the U.S. adultvaccination rate is on the low side, according to a new research brief.
Less than 70% of adults at the highestrisk for influenza — or complications from influenza — were vaccinated as of2009, according to the RAND Corporation.
Nursing home residents withcompromised immune systems are routinely vaccinated for the flu, yetassociations that represent nursing homes have stopped short of endorsing theidea of mandatory flu vaccinations for employees.
To boost voluntary vaccination rates forinfluenza and other preventable diseases such as shingles, hepatitis A and Band pertussis, RAND experts had several recommendations. They encouragedemployers to help physicians assess the needs for adult vaccinations;facilitate performance-based payments to providers that provide vaccinations;or formalize a protocol forreferring patients for vaccination to outside provider offices.
Click here to read the research brief.
