All health-care workers should be required to get a flu shot every year, unless they formally refuse in writing, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) said today.
"Voluntary systems haven't brought immunization rates up far enough," Dr. Pavia said, calling for a regimen with "more teeth in it."
...the idea is not new. Health-care workers, for instance, are required to have hepatitis vaccinations.
Policing such a policy...might be linked to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
The call for mandatory flu shots for the nation's health-care workers is part of a 12-point program that the society says is critical to prepare for a possible pandemic flu strain.
The society called on the federal government to establish a multinational pandemic influenza vaccine master program, "on the scale of the Apollo lunar project," to work with other countries and the private sector to develop a vaccine. The U.S. should spend at least $2.8 billion for 2007 alone on such a program, the society said.
During a pandemic, the society said, health-care workers will be at increased risk and should get priority access of vaccines and anti-virals.
Priority access to vaccines and antivirals? This is not happening in my state. The State Panflu Plan says there is not enough Tamiflu, so there will be no prophylaxis. Of course, there is no vaccine either, or appropriate and adequate PPE (but no one is mentioning the basics for safety that we will need in this article).
