Influenza is one of the deadliest viruses that our health system has ever faced (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011). The most horrific deaths in the early 1900s were not only caused by the war by the “Spanish Influenza” pandemic (CDC, 2011). According to the CDC (2017), the 1918 pandemic infected about 500 million people worldwide and killed about 675,000 people in the US. At that time, there were no antibiotics or vaccines. In fact, the first isolation of the virus occurred in 1933, the first inactivated vaccine was completed by the 50s, but the license for the first live attenuated vaccine was not authorized until 2003 (CDC, 2011). Despite …show more content…
Unlike polio and other vaccine preventable conditions, influenza can only be attenuated but not fully eliminated. In essence, the purpose of the vaccination is to protect against infection and disease and to induce immunity that restricts virus transmission in the existing population (Wong & Webby, 2013). However, the problem is that the vaccine does not protect for long (Wong & Webby, 2013). Therefore, there is a recommendation for annual vaccinations to ensure adequate protection (Wong & Webby, 2013). Speaking of protection, one of the main strategies that are in effect to prevent influenza is reducing the risk of infection (Shefer et al., 2011). In this case, healthcare providers (HCP) belong to an occupational group of people who are at increased risk of exposure and at even higher risk to transmit the virus to an at-risk population (Caban-Martinez et al., 2010, Shefer, et al., 2011). In fact, when an HCP is infected with the virus, and they continue to work, they become primary vectors of infection (Shefer et al., 2011). The significance and importance of influenza vaccination become an eminent topic when speaking of health care providers. For instance, Hayward et al., (2006), conducted a study that discovered that when home care staff were vaccinated, they …show more content…
For instance, some HCPs are afraid of the side effects or may consider the vaccine to be ineffective. On the other hand, those who comply do so because they had already been vaccinated in the past of because they wish to protect themselves and their patients (Shefer, 2011). To address push back, in 2007, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) required facilities to educate their health care providers and vaccinate all HCPs who were in direct patient contact (Lindley, Dube, Kalayil, Kim, Paiva & Raymond, 2014). Also, part of the requirement was to submit to RIDOH documentation on the number of vaccines administered, and the number of vaccines declined (Lindley et al., 2014). In return, RIDOH would provide the facility with the flu vaccinations at no cost (Lindley et al., 2014). The purpose of this paper is to analyze RIDOHs vaccination regulations for health care providers and determine its success, discussing the challenges and review future