CDC releases new flu toolkit

A sick workforce can create staffing and resident wellness challenges for long-term care providers. A new toolkit developed by the National Vaccine Program Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is designed to help employers educate their staff members on the importance of being vaccinated against influenza. The toolkit is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Workers in long-term care settings are vaccinated at a much lower rate than that of healthcare personnel in general, according to CDC data, even though they care for a population at high risk for health complications from the flu. To address that discrepancy, the toolkit contains:

• Resources and strategies to help employers increase vaccination rates among employees;
• Recommendations from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control;
• Position statements from medical and health professional organizations;
• Examples of successful vaccination programs; and
• Guidance for managing outbreaks and individual occurrences of the flu.

Related article: Flu vaccination low among long-term care workers