Health staff are more likely to question effectiveness of the flu vaccine

• Published in: BMJ (Online) Vol. 360; p. k284
• Main Author: Wilson, Jason A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 25.01.2018
• Subjects: Immunization; Influenza; Vaccines; United Kingdom > UK; Australia
• ISSN: 0959-8138; 1756-1833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.k284

Low uptake of the flu vaccine by healthcare staff might be a response to the aggressive pro-vaccine rhetoric they experience at work. 1 Healthcare staff are sophisticated consumers who can spot aggressive advertising campaigns that overestimate benefit, underestimate harm, and are delivered with simplistic emotional manipulation. An internet search will find that effectiveness of the flu vaccine is only 10% in Australia this season 2 and that, last year, vaccinated people aged over 65 in the UK were more likely to get influenza. 3 The summary of product characteristics for the common influenza vaccine states that harms related to absenteeism occur in 1% to 10% of recipients, 4 and the Cochrane review of staff vaccination last year found that it didn't protect patients. 5 More searching finds that high vaccination rates in healthcare staff result in better Care Quality Commission ratings and trigger increased trust income through payments from Commissioning for Quality and Innovation. 6 7 Why is it surprising that some staff respond by digging in their heels?