Get Your Flu Vaccine!

Flu vaccination is important for long-term care facility residents and personnel.

Influenza (flu) is a serious health threat, especially for vulnerable populations like older adults and people living with long-term chronic medical conditions, like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney and liver disorders. So, it’s especially important that all people living with or caring for those with chronic medical conditions and/or aging persons – including those working in long-term care (LTC) facilities – get vaccinated against the flu and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Protect Health Care Personnel and Residents in Long-Term Care Facilities

Health Care Personnel (HCP) in LTC facilities may have direct or indirect contact with older adults, persons with disabilities, and persons with chronic medical conditions receiving care. Studies have attributed influenza outbreaks in long-term care facilities and hospitals to low influenza vaccination coverage among HCP in those facilities. During a confirmed flu outbreak in a Long-Term Care Facility, up to one in three residents and one in four staff develop flu-like illness. Preventing flu among health care personnel (HCP) can help reduce the spread of flu in vulnerable LTC resident populations.

The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year. HCP should get their flu vaccinations by October if possible (or soon after the flu vaccine becomes available). Since it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop after being vaccinated, make sure your HCP staff are vaccinated early in the flu season so that they are protected before flu becomes prevalent in the community and in the LTC Facilities.

Know How to Improve Flu Vaccination Coverage among HCP

Continued efforts are needed to ensure HCP are vaccinated early in the flu season. Vaccination coverage among certain HCP, especially those in long-term care facilities, and among assistants and aides and administrative and non-clinical support staff in all work settings needs the most improvement.

There are a number of studies that show proven interventions to promote flu vaccination among HCP each season. Some strategies that employers should use to reduce barriers to HCP vaccination include offering flu vaccination:

Onsite over multiple days and shifts,
Free of charge, and with
Frequent and strong promotion.

The LTC toolkit helps long-term care administrators get their workforce vaccinated against the flu.

Use the Toolkit for Long-Term Care Employers

To help LTC employers increase flu vaccination among health care personnel in LTC settings, the National Vaccine Program Office and CDC launched a Toolkit for Long-Term Care Employers. This comprehensive toolkit includes a number of resources intended to help long-term care facility, agency, or corporation owners and administrators provide access to flu vaccination for their workforce and to help LTC employers understand the importance of flu vaccination for their employees.

The toolkit includes information about:

Why it is important to vaccinate LTC health care personnel
Vaccination coverage rates
Resources to increase awareness
Community best practices
Guidance related to flu prevention, outbreak, and response.

Manufacturers have started shipping flu vaccines for this season. Make sure both your health care personnel and LTC residents are protected by encouraging flu vaccination as soon as it becomes available!