INSTRUCTIONS These slides are templates to use for educational purposes for your facility’s campaign to immunize healthcare personnel against influenza Add to or change the slides to meet the needs of your facility Add your facility’s branding according to your facility’s policy Delete this slide and the final template slide when creating your slide set. Slide #25 in this set is for IPRO purposes ONLY.

Influenza Vaccine Facts

Facts About the Flu Virus Influenza (Flu) – Among the most common respiratory illnesses – Infects millions of people every flu season and hospitalizes more than 200,000 people – Between 1976 and 2006, estimates of yearly flu- associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.

The Case for Healthcare Personnel (HCP) Vaccination Rapid spread in health care settings Only 3 out of 5 nurses and other healthcare workers get vaccinated Healthcare worker influenza immunization rates remain around 60%, well below the Healthy People 2020 goal of 90%.

Studies Show… Staff influenza immunization prevents: – spread of the flu to patients, other workers, and families – staff illness and missed days at work – flu-related illness and death, especially among people at increased risk for severe flu illness Facilities with higher numbers of immunized staff have a lower risk of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) flu cases. Low flu vaccination coverage among HCPs is associated with flu outbreaks in healthcare facilities.

Recommendation for HCP Immunization The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all healthcare personnel, even those in training for healthcare professions, should be vaccinated annually against the flu in order to reduce complications associated with the flu in healthcare settings.

Professional Organizations Supporting Mandatory Flu Vaccination of HCP American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) American College of Physicians (ACP) American Hospital Association (AHA) Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC) Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) American Public Health Association (APHA) National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) American Pharmacists Association (APhA) National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) National Business Group on Health National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)

Flu Vaccine is THE Most Important Step to STOP the Flu Flu IQ Quiz: Answer: TRUE or FALSE 1.A flu vaccine can't give you the flu. 2.The "stomach flu" and influenza are the same thing. 3.Getting a flu vaccine in December or later is not too late. 4.Flu viruses change constantly which requires a new flu vaccine to be produced each year. 5.Washing your hands is the best thing you can do to protect against the flu. 6.The flu vaccine protects against three strains of flu. 7.The flu is typically spread through coughs and/or sneezes. 8.The flu is not a serious illness. 9.The flu vaccine is available as a shot or a nasal spray. 10.You can spread the flu to others before you have symptoms.

FLU IQ QUIZ ANSWERS

A flu vaccine can't give you the flu. TRUE! – The flu vaccine cannot make you sick. – The viruses in the vaccine are either killed before making the vaccine (flu shot) or weakened (nasal spray vaccine), so they cannot cause infection.

The "stomach flu" and influenza are the same thing. FALSE! – The flu is a respiratory (lung) disease, not a stomach or intestinal disease. The main symptoms of the flu are fever (usually high), headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat and muscle aches. Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, also can occur but are more common in children than adults.

Getting a flu vaccine in December or later is not too late. TRUE! – The timing of flu season is unpredictable and can change from year to year. – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people take the flu vaccine as soon as it’s available. – People can get vaccinated anytime during the flu season. – The spread of the flu virus usually peaks in January or February most years, but people can get infected as early as October and as late as May.

Flu viruses change constantly which requires a new flu vaccine to be produced each year. TRUE! – Flu viruses are constantly changing in order to survive (called “antigenic drift”) – they can change from one season to the next or they can even change within the course of one flu season. Experts must study how the virus changes each year and pick which viruses to include in the vaccine. – This is one reason why people need to get immunized each year.

Washing your hands is the best thing you can do to protect against the flu. FALSE! – CDC recommends a flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against the flu. – Covering your cough/sneeze and washing your hands often are important everyday steps that can help stop the spread of germs.

The flu vaccine protects against three strains of flu. TRUE! – While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine protects against the three main flu types that tracking studies show will cause the most illness during the flu season. – The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends which ones to include. – The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) makes the final decision on WHO's recommendation for the United States.

The flu is typically spread through coughs and/or sneezes. TRUE! – Flu virus is mainly spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes.

Cover your Cough/Sneeze! Droplets from a sneeze or cough can travel about 100 mph and up to 6 feet away. University of Louisville Hospital: “Puff” Daddy Video - human/videos/news- coughing-robot-spews-flu- germs.htm human/videos/news- coughing-robot-spews-flu- germs.htm Photo Credit: CDC/ Brian Judd

The flu is not a serious illness. FALSE! – Flu is a serious contagious disease. Each year in the United States, on average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications and 36,000 people die from flu.

The flu vaccine is available as a shot or a nasal spray. TRUE! – Flu vaccine is also available as a nasal spray (brand name FluMist®). – The nasal spray flu vaccine is an option for healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant. *"Healthy" indicates persons who do not have an underlying medical condition that puts them at risk for influenza complications.

You can spread the flu to others before you have symptoms. TRUE! – You could infect others starting 1 day before you feel sick and up to 5 days after becoming sick. – That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

Where YOU Can get the Flu Vaccine Your doctor Retail pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS, Walmart) Employer flu vaccine clinic – {INSERT YOUR FACILITY’S INFORMATION HERE} Local public health clinic

No Vaccine: Wear the Mask {INSERT YOUR FACILITY’S POLICY ON USE OF MASK FOR UNVACCINATED EMPLOYEES}

Required Vaccination Documentation {INSERT YOUR FACILITY’S POLICY ON REPORTING VACCINATION STATUS}

Questions? {INSERT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION}

DELETE THIS ENTIRE SLIDE ONCE YOU CREATE YOUR FINAL POWER POINT FOR IPRO PURPOSES ONLY This material was prepared by IPRO, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for New York State, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 10SOW-NY-AIM