Successfully Conducted Vaccination Drive against Vaccine-Preventable Diseases for Staff at Our Facility

Abstract

Preventing occupational infections is one of the most important activities of the infection control team. It is recommended that all healthcare workers be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) by administering vaccines. We conducted a vaccination drive at our facility because of disseminated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection in a patient in the intensive care unit and the upcoming operation of a patient with mumps. A total of 984 persons were evaluated for antibody titers of measles, rubella, mumps, and VZV, and individuals were vaccinated if the titers indicated the need for vaccination. It took approximately 7 months from the planning to the completion of the vaccination drive. Inoculation rates were as follows: measles, 81.9%; rubella, 76.9%; mumps, 76.2%; and VZV, 60%. Our vaccination drive was conducted successfully in a relatively short period of time and we achieved a high vaccination rate mainly due to the following 4 reasons: we recognized the need for vaccination intensely after we came across 2 cases of VPDs at our facility; the vaccination drive was carried out at the same time as the business improvement plan of the hospital was implemented; the hospital covered the entire antibody titer testing and half of the vaccination costs; simultaneous vaccination was allowed with different vaccines. © 2012, Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control. All rights reserved.