hepatitis b vaccine booster for healthcare workers :: Article CreatorCOVID And Flu Vaccine Rates Are Declining For US Health Care Workers, CDC Reports: 'Disturbing Trend'
Fewer U.S. Health care workers are keeping up to date on their COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, according to two separate reports this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For the first study, researchers pulled data from the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) for January to June 2023.
They found that flu vaccine coverage was 81% among health care employees at hospitals and 47.1% at nursing homes.
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In terms of COVID vaccine coverage for medical workers, it was at just 7.2% at hospitals and 22.8% at nursing homes.
For COVID, "up-to-date" vaccination was defined as "receipt of a bivalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccine dose or completion of a primary series within the preceding two months."
Fewer U.S. Health care workers are keeping up to date on COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, according to two separate CDC reports this week. (iStock)
"There is a need to promote evidence-based strategies to improve vaccination coverage among HCP (health care personnel)," the study authors wrote in the report.
"Tailored strategies might also be useful to reach all HCP with recommended vaccines and protect them and their patients from vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases."
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In a second study, the CDC researchers analyzed the same data to determine the level of flu vaccination among health care personnel.
Prior to the COVID pandemic, flu vaccine coverage rose from 88.6% in 2017-2018 to 90.7% in 2019-2020.
However, the rate declined to 85.9% in the 2020-2021 season and dropped again to 81.1% in 2022-2023.
"There is a need to promote evidence-based strategies to improve vaccination coverage among HCP (health care personnel)," the study authors wrote in the report. (iStock)
"Additional efforts are needed to implement evidence-based strategies to increase vaccination coverage among HCP and to identify factors associated with recent declines in influenza vaccination coverage," the researchers wrote in the report.
"This is a disturbing trend," noted Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, upon reviewing the CDC data.
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"Non-compliance is due largely to fear and politicization of misunderstanding of vaccines," he told Fox News Digital. "Both vaccines decrease severity much more than spread, although they do decrease viral load."
With the COVID vaccines, however, Siegel noted that there may be a longer "carryover effect" after previous vaccines or recent infections — "so there is a rationale for not taking it unless you are in a high-risk group or elderly, even if you are a health care worker."
"All personnel without contraindications to individual vaccines should be vaccinated," said a New York City-based clinical professor of medicine. (iStock)
While the side effects are real, Siegel said, they have been "hyped" in the case of COVID vaccines.
Added the doctor, "Both vaccines are safe and effective."
Dr. Joseph P. Iser, recently retired chief health officer for the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) and a member of the ACPM Board of Regents, was not involved in the CDC reports but commented on the findings.
"I believe these coverage rates are much lower than they should be," Iser told Fox News Digital in an email.
"Non-compliance is due largely to fear and politicization of misunderstanding of vaccines."
Health care workers have a "higher duty" to be vaccinated against diseases that they can contract from or transmit to their patients, the doctor noted.
"Where vaccines are mandated by either the state's department of health or by the hospital or long-term care facility itself, clinical personnel usually take advantage of those vaccines," he said.
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"Fewer administrative personnel in these systems tend to get vaccinated, but all personnel without contraindications to individual vaccines should be vaccinated," said Iser.
"This is by far the best way to protect ourselves and our patients against not only respiratory viruses (COVID-19, RSV and influenza) but also other transmissible diseases, such as hepatitis A and B and childhood diseases."
Among the barriers to vaccinations are insurance, access to care and time required to get vaccinated, a former chief health officer noted. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Among the barriers to vaccinations are insurance, access to care and time requirements, Iser noted.
"Not all health care workers have insurance, and that is true for long-term care workers as well," he said.
"Hospitals and long-term care facilities should make vaccinations required and easy to get while at work."
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The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends annual flu vaccinations and up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone aged 6 months and older.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for additional comment.
For more Health articles, visit www.Foxnews.Com/health.
Melissa Rudy is health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
Restaurant Worker In Georgia Diagnosed With Hepatitis A; Customers Urged To Get Vaccinated
Hepatitis A infection has been diagnosed in a server at Lolita's Bar and Grill located at 472 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville, GA. Individuals who ate at the restaurant from Oct. 24 – Nov. 7 may have been exposed to the infection and should contact their healthcare provider or the Gwinnett County Health Department to determine if a hepatitis A vaccine is needed to prevent illness.
Hepatitis A vaccine is available at the Gwinnett County Health Department to exposed individuals with no out-of-pocket cost, regardless of insurance status.
Hepatitis A is a contagious viral infection that can cause loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness, fever, stomach pain, brown-colored urine, light-colored stools, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Symptoms usually begin 2 – 7 weeks after exposure and generally last less than 2 months but can last as long as 6 months. Some individuals with severe symptoms of hepatitis A require hospitalization.
Hepatitis A spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. Hepatitis A can be spread when restaurant workers infected with hepatitis A don't wash their hands thoroughly after using the bathroom.
Anyone who consumed food or drinks at Lolita's Bar and Grill from Oct.24 – Nov. 7 is asked to:
Seek hepatitis A vaccination within 14 days of exposure if you have not previously been vaccinated for or had hepatitis A. If you have been vaccinated or have had hepatitis A previously, you are considered immune and do not need the vaccine. Wash your hands with soap and warm water frequently and thoroughly, especially after using the bathroom and preparing food. Monitor your health for symptoms of hepatitis A infection up to 50 days after exposure. If you develop symptoms of hepatitis A, stay home and contact your healthcare provider or the health department immediately.
The restaurant has cooperated with the health department's investigation and has taken proactive measures, including scheduling immunizations for susceptible employees and thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing the restaurant. Education on the prevention of Hepatitis A transmission has also been provided.
Individuals with questions should call their healthcare provider or the Gwinnett County Health Department at 770-339-4260 (press 0 and ask to speak with the epidemiologist on call). An epidemiologist can also be reached after hours at 404-323-1910 or 866-PUB-HLTH
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
Maine Health Agency Issues Alert After Food Service Worker Tests Positive For Hepatitis A
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a case of hepatitis A in a Falmouth food service worker. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. It can spread through person-to-person contact or by consuming contaminated food or water.
The individual worked during their infectious period at The Dockside Grill, 215 Foreside Road, Falmouth, on the following dates:
October 23-25 November 6-8 Anyone who dined in or ordered takeout from this restaurant during these days could be at risk for hepatitis A infection. The restaurant is working closely with the Maine CDC and there is no concern about ongoing exposure outside of these dates.
You can prevent getting hepatitis A with a vaccine and those exposed to hepatitis A can avoid getting sick if they get the vaccine within 14 days of the exposure The hepatitis A vaccine is a two-dose series. After one dose, at least 94 out of 100 people become immune to the hepatitis A virus for several years. Getting the second dose ensures long-term protection.
Individuals who were potentially exposed should:
Discard any leftover food bought at this restaurant during the dates listed above. If eligible, get vaccinated. If you ate or drank from this restaurant during these dates, get a hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days of the last time eating or drinking there. If more than 14 days have passed, people who have not previously been vaccinated may still get the vaccine at any time to protect against future exposures. Individuals who worked in the restaurant during these dates should get a hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days of their last date worked. Ask your health care provider if you need hepatitis A immune globulin (IG) in addition to hepatitis A vaccine; certain people may need both. If you are already vaccinated for hepatitis A, you are already protected. You do not need to get any additional hepatitis A vaccine doses now. If you ate or drank at this restaurant during any of these dates, watch for symptoms of hepatitis A for up to 50 days from the last day you ate, drank, or worked at the restaurant.If you experience any of the symptoms listed below, seek medical attention. feeling tired low or no appetite stomach pain nausea diarrhea dark-colored urine jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) fever joint pain Symptoms begin to show 15–50 days after exposure to the virus and can range from mild to severe. People who get very ill may need to go to a hospital and their symptoms can last several months. Most children younger than 6 years old have mild or no symptoms.
Cases of hepatitis A in Maine have remained elevated since an initial increase in 2019. People at increased risk of becoming infected should protect themselves with a hepatitis A vaccine.
For more information on hepatitis A, visit www.Cdc.Gov/hepatitis/hav/.
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