Nurses urged to have flu jab to prevent risk to patient safety

The Infection Prevention Society is calling on nurses and other healthcare workers to be vaccinated against flu to prevent serious risk to themselves, patients and NHS colleagues.

Although flu vaccination uptake amongst frontline health workers in England has increased by six per cent since 2016, 54 per cent have not had flu jabs.

In a typical flu season about quarter of healthcare staff will get the flu and half of these will not have major symptoms but can still spread infections.

Recent research has shown that improving NHS flu vaccination programmes can reduce staff sickness, with a 10 per cent increase in the vaccination associated with a 10 per cent fall in sickness absence.

Neil Wigglesworth, president of the Infection Prevention Society, said: “It’s worrying that as we head into winter over half of healthcare workers, including frontline nurses, are not vaccinated against the threat of flu which can have devastating effects on patient and staff safety, as well causing havoc to vital NHS services through staff sickness.

“Annual immunisation remains the best way to protect people and we are urging all healthcare staff to get a flu jab to ensure the safety of their patients and colleagues. With the added threat of the Australian flu strain reaching Europe, front line nurses and their patients and colleagues are even more vulnerable. Infection prevention through vaccination is critical to keep our workforce fighting fit.”