Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Healthcare Professionals

Key points

National vaccination coverage among healthcare professionals for the 2018–2019 season

in healthcare facilities:

• is estimated at 35%

• varies by profession: physicians: 67%, midwives: 48%, nurses: 36%, nursing assistants: 21%

• compared to historical data (2009), it has increased for midwives, is trending upward for doctors and nurses, and remains stable for nursing assistants.

in long-term care facilities for dependent elderly individuals (Ehpad):

• is estimated at 32%

• varies by profession: doctors: 75%, nurses: 43%, nursing assistants: 27%, and other paramedical staff: 34%

• compared to historical data (2009), this shows an increase for doctors, relative stability for nurses, and a decrease for nursing assistants.

Measures implemented within healthcare facilities or nursing homes, designed to promote vaccination or facilitate vaccine availability, help improve influenza vaccination coverage among healthcare professionals. In facilities where these various measures have been combined, influenza vaccination coverage exceeds 50%.

Regarding the mandatory flu vaccination requirement for their profession, 43% of healthcare professionals said they were “very in favor” or “somewhat in favor,” while 44% were “somewhat opposed” or “not at all in favor.”

The categories of healthcare professionals with the highest influenza vaccination rates are those most supportive of mandatory vaccination.