Approx 40% of health care workers get the flu shot (the rest don't).

Approx 40% of health care workers get the flu shot (the rest don't).

Survey after survey reveals that in large, consistent numbers, healthcare professionals of all stripes refuse to get the flu shot.

Doctors, nurses, and facility workers all shun the vaccine.

Although New York State tried to mandate the flu shot for medical workers, this was blocked by a judge.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/judge-halts-mandatory-flu-vaccines-for-health-care-workers/


According to the CDC web site "Coverage levels during the 2009 pandemic were higher for seasonal vaccine, but remained low for the 2009 pandemic vaccine. By mid–January 2010, estimated vaccination coverage among HCP was 37% for 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) and 62% for seasonal influenza, based on a RAND Corporation–conducted telephone survey that used a somewhat different methodology than NHIS."

What do healthcare providers know that the rest of us don't?

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/acip/coveragelevels.htm#tab3

Study: Influenza vaccination of healthcare workers
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9090547?dopt=AbstractPlus&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn

Wall Street Journal - Blog
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/07/13/who-put-health-workers-first-in-line-for-swine-flu-vaccine/