Vaccination and the health care worker

Historically, health care worker vaccination has been a strategy to protect the health care worker from infectious work related risk. This article will discuss the transition to health care worker vaccination as a key patient safety initiative for hospitals and health care systems. As the case is evolving toward mandatory influenza vaccination of health care workers, we have outlined key success factors for a voluntary program in a rural frontier referral hospital. Additionally, pertussis vaccination for health care workers is discussed as to the patient safety aspects of a progressive approach further making the case for value creation on behalf of our patients we have the privilege of providing care.