Why health care workers decline influenza vaccination

Influenza vaccine is essential to preventing influenza among health care workers and their patients. Therefore, the staff of the employee health clinic worked diligently to provide an opportunity for all employees to receive influenza vaccinations. Despite these efforts, a significant percentage of employees declined the vaccine. During the 2007-2008 influenza season, employees were instructed to either receive the influenza vaccine or decline in writing. The vaccination rate for all staff members and direct caregivers, during the 2007-2008 vaccination season, was 52%, with 35% declining and 13% not participating. In response to the 35% declining, data were analyzed to develop an effective educational tool focused on reasons for declination. This article presents an overview of the study, the reasons employees declined influenza vaccine, and strategies for improving vaccination rates.