Health Care Provider / Facility Influenza Immunization Toolkit

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has compiled these resources to help health care providers and facilities implement effective influenza immunization programs for their staff. This toolkit contains information to help you explain the solid science on the importance of vaccinating health care personnel (HCP) against influenza. It also contains tools to assist in ordering, storing, and administering influenza vaccine for staff as well as your adult patients.

Making sure HCP receive an annual influenza vaccination will protect your staff and patients, and reduce disease burden and health care costs. HCP influenza coverage in NYS remains around 86% in facilities and agencies. Influenza vaccination of HCP has been proven to lead to:

• reductions in HCP illness and absenteeism.
  • HCP who receive influenza vaccine report approximately 30% fewer influenza-like illnesses and use 30-50% fewer sick days.
• reductions in health care-acquired influenza.
  • Up to 25% of HCP contract influenza each season.
  • HCP can transmit influenza to their patients even before they know they are sick. All individuals infected with influenza are contagious for at least one day before symptoms develop.
• improved patient outcomes.
  • Residents in nursing homes with high HCP vaccination levels have greater than 40% reduction in overall mortality.
• cost savings.
  • Influenza vaccination has been estimated to save $13.66 per person vaccinated annually.
  • The cost of promoting and delivering vaccinations to HCP is lower than the costs associated with influenza illness.

Table of Contents

• Healthcare Personnel (HCP) Influenza Vaccination Campaign Timeline
• Laws and Regulations
• Reviewing the Evidence
• Vaccine Ordering, Storage, and Handling
• Vaccine Administration
• Vaccine Documentation
• Educational Materials
• Additional Resources

Healthcare Personnel (HCP) Influenza Vaccination Campaign Timeline

• Timeline(PDF, 293KB)

Laws and Regulations

• Regulation for Prevention of Influenza Transmission by Healthcare and Residential Facility and Agency Personnel
• Article 21-A: Long-Term Care Resident and Employee Immunization Act

Reviewing the Evidence

• Definition of Health Care Personnel
  • All persons employed or affiliated with a health care or residential facility or agency, whether paid or unpaid, including but not limited to employees, members of the medical and nursing staff, contract staff, students, and volunteers, who engage in activities such that if they were infected with influenza, they could potentially expose patients or residents to the disease.
• Influenza Immunization Recommendations
  • Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), United States, 2018-19 Influenza Season, CDC
  • Immunization of Health-Care Personnel, Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), CDC, MMWR, November 25, 2011, Vol. 60, RR-7
  • Infection Control in Health Care Facilities, CDC
• Selecting Viruses for the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine, CDC

Vaccine Ordering, Storage, and Handling

• Pre-book Vaccine
  • Pre-book private stock influenza vaccine (for adults and privately-insured children) in January - February.
  • Pre-booking of Vaccines for Children influenza vaccine generally occurs in summer.
• List of Flu Vaccine Distributors
• Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking System, National Influenza Vaccine Summit
• Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Vaccine Administration

• Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to Adults
• Vaccine Information Statements (VIS)
• Immunization Consent form
  • This publication is available for ordering from the New York State Department of Health
• Vaccine Administration Protocols, CDC
• Dosage, Administration and Storage of Influenza Vaccines
• How to Administer Intramuscular, Intradermal, and Intranasal Influenza Vaccines, Immunization Action Coalition (IAC)
• How to Administer IM and SC Injections to Adults, IAC
• Standing Orders for Medical Management of Vaccine Reactions in Children and Teens, IAC
• Standing Orders for Medical Management of Vaccine Reactions in Adults, IAC

Vaccine Documentation

• Influenza Vaccine Medical Exemption Statement for Health Care Personnel
• Declination of Influenza Vaccination for Health Care Personnel
• NYSDOH Adult Immunization Record card
  • This publication is available for ordering from the New York State Department of Health
• Vaccine Administration Record for Adults, IAC
• New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS)
• Sample Primary Care Provider Notification of Vaccination Letter, IAC
• Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)

Educational Materials

• NYSDOH Seasonal Influenza Educational Materials
• CDC Seasonal Influenza Print Materials
• Influenza Vaccine Flyer, IAC
• Influenza Fact Sheet, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

Additional Resources

• NYSDOH, Vaccination of Health Care Personnel
• NYSDOH Health Advisory: Recommendations for Vaccination of Health Care Personnel, 2016(PDF, 61KB)
• Position Statements on Influenza Vaccination Policies for Health Care Personnel
• Influenza (Flu), CDC
• Best Practices
  • Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings, CDC
  • Suggestions to Improve Your Immunization Services, IAC,
  • Immunizing Health Care Personnel Against Influenza: A Report on Best Practices, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
  • Recommendations on Strategies to Achieve the Healthy People 2020 Annual Influenza Vaccine Coverage Goal for Health Care Personnel, 2012. National Vaccine Advisory Committee.
• A Toolkit for Long-Term Care Employers: Increasing Influenza Vaccination Among Health Care Personnel in Long-term Care Settings, CDC