The flu vaccine should be mandatory for health professionals working in high-risk areas, such as intensive care, cancer wards and emergency departments, according to a report from the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland.
The report, Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Workers, led by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, along with the Faculties of Pathology and Public Health Medicine, was published today.
The report states that the needs of the patient population as a whole must take priority over the personal choice of the individual healthcare worker, in order to protect overall population health.
President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland Professor Mary Horgan said doctors and all those working in direct contact with patients in hospitals and communities have a responsibility to protect where possible against infection.
"As doctors and healthcare professionals, we have a duty of care to protect our patients and in order to do that, we must protect ourselves," Prof Horgan said.
"I fully support mandatory vaccination against flu infection in key healthcare personnel, in tandem with those already in place, to provide immunity to both healthcare workers and their patients.
"Mandatory influenza vaccination is the only measure proven to achieve vaccination uptake rates of 95%. The vaccine has an 88% efficacy rate and is strongly recommended by the World Health Organization. Mandatory vaccination is widely used in North America and uptake rates of over 90% have been achieved.
"I strongly encourage all healthcare workers to get the flu vaccine to protect themselves, their families and their patients."
However, the Dean of the Faculty of Occupation Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians Ireland has said the uptake of the flu vaccine among healthcare workers is improving, but is "way short of what is required to provide a good protective ring of immunity" to patients who are immuno-compromised.
Dr Blánaid Hayes warned the flu virus is a highly infectious one that has many opportunities to spread among patients, healthcare workers and visitors.
Dr Hayes said nurses have taken a strong leadership role on the issue and this has made a big difference in some of the units.
The General Secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said the union's programme of peer vaccination has increased the uptake of the flu vaccine.
Phil Ni Sheaghdha explained the ability to get the vaccine where you are working has proven to improve the uptake.
The bottom line, she said, was that overcrowded hospitals were more likely to spread flu and called for isolation rooms to be provided in hospitals.
The inability to provide these rooms was, she said, "extraordinarily dangerous".
