2016DHB Health Care Worker Influenza Immunisation Coverage
Background
Healthcare workers, by virtue of their occupation, are at increased risk of contracting influenza and may transmit the infection to susceptible individuals with the potential for serious outcomes.
All district health boards (DHBs)offer free influenza immunisation to their employed staff. Since 2010, theMinistry of Health has been reporting on DHB health care worker influenza immunisation coverage.
Occupational groups
The following occupational groups are used by DHBs for the collection and comparison of theirinfluenza immunisation coverage rates:
Nurses / Includes registered and enrolled nurses.Doctors / Includes registered doctors.
Midwives / Includes registered midwives.
Allied staff / Includes but not limited to physiotherapists, laboratory technicians, occupational therapists, dieticians, social workers, pharmacists, radiologists and speech language therapists etc.
Other employees / May include but not limited to healthcare assistants, cleaners, orderlies, administrators and management etc.
Non-employed individuals
DHBs also offer free influenza immunisation to individuals not employed by the DHB but working in their facilities such as: contractors and healthcare students etc. The numbers of vaccines given to this group are collected by DHBs but it is not possible to calculate the immunisation coverage as there is no set denominator for this group.
In 2016, this group was expanded to include registered midwives not employed by DHBs but have contracted access to DHB facilities, 110 midwives were immunised in this group. It is likely that some of these midwives may have been recorded as DHB employed midwives in previous years and this may account for the decrease in the DHB midwives influenza immunisation coverage.
DHB staff vaccinated elsewhere
DHB employed staff who have had their influenza immunisation elsewhere (e.g. own general practitioner) are not included in these DHB coverage rates. However, some DHBs collect this information and staff are requested to inform the DHB if they have been vaccinated elsewhere.
Comparison of totalDHB Health Care Worker coverage 2010- 2016
Figure 1. Total DHB Health Care Worker Influenza Immunisation Coverage2010 -2016
Figure 1:Coverage rates have steadily increased since 2010 with coverage in 2016 similar to 2015.
Comparison of DHB Health Care Worker coverage by DHB 2014- 2016
Figure 2. DHB Health Care Worker Influenza Immunisation Coverage by DHB 2014 - 2016
Figure 2: 2016 DHB influenza immunisation coverage for health care workers ranges from Tairawhiti DHB at 83 percent to Waitemata DHB at 52 percent. The average at 65 percent is similar to 2015.
Comparison of DHB Health Care Worker coverage by occupation 2014 - 2016
Figure 3. DHB Health Care Worker Influenza Immunisation Coverage by Occupation 2014 -2016
Figure 3: Coverage by occupation has remained steady across all occupational groups in 2016 with the exception of midwives (54 percent in 2016 compared to 59 percent in 2015) and allied staff (61 percent in 2016 compared to 65 percent in 2015). Some midwives previously recorded as DHB employed staff may now be included in the non-employed midwives group.
Figure 4. Nurses Influenza Immunisation Coverage by DHB 2014 – 2016
Figure 4:2016 DHB influenza immunisation coverage for nursesranges from Tairawhiti DHB at 83 percent to Waitemata and Wairarapa DHBs at 53 percent. The average at 67 percent is similar to 2015.
Figure 5. Doctors Influenza Immunisation Coverage by DHB 2014 – 2016
Figure 5:2016 DHB influenza immunisation coverage for doctors ranges from West Coast DHB at 93 percent to Waitemata DHB at 55 percent. The average at 70 percent is similar to the past two years.
Figure 6. Midwives Influenza Immunisation Coverage by DHB 2014-2016
Figure 6:2016 DHB influenza immunisation coverage for midwives ranges from West Coast DHB at 100 percent to Lakes DHB at 27 percent. The average at 54 percent has dropped in comparison to the two previous years.
Figure 7. Allied Staff Influenza Immunisation Coverage by DHB 2014 - 2016
Figure 7:2016 DHB influenza immunisation coverage for allied staff ranges from Tairawhiti DHB at 80 percent to Wairarapa DHB at 39 percent. The average at 61 percent has dropped in comparison to last year.
Figure 8. Other Employees Influenza Immunisation Coverage by DHB 2014 – 2016
Figure 8:2016 DHB influenza immunisation coverage for other employees ranges from Tairawhiti DHB at 97 percent to Nelson Marlborough DHB at 46 percent. The average at 64 percent has dropped in comparison to the last year.
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Appendix One
DHB Health Care Workforce Influenza Immunisation Coverage rates2014 – 2016
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Appendix Two
2016 DHB Health Care Workforce Influenza Immunisation Coverage by Occupation (in alphabetical order)
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