State public health officials are urging Californians to get immunized against influenza as part of National Influenza Vaccination Week, which this year takes place Dec. 4-10, and also are taking steps to encourage more vaccinations among health care workers based on the findings of a newly released report.

Each year in the United States more than 200,000 people are hospitalized, and as many as 49,000 people die after contracting influenza.

“As this is National Influenza Vaccination Week, it is a perfect time to remind Californians to get a flu shot to protect themselves and others,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). “Since the flu season typically peaks in December and January, I urge people to get immunized now.”

Flu season begins each year in September and ends in March, and influenza vaccination is recommended for all Californians six months and older.

This year’s vaccine will protect against the H1N1 strain, as well as H3N2 and influenza B.

In conjunction with National Influenza Vaccination Week, CDPH released its annual report on vaccination rates among health care employees across the state.

The report found that the employee vaccination rate has increased slightly from 62.6 percent in the 2009-10 flu season to 64.3 percent in 2010-11 for reporting hospitals.

The report also shows that hospital reporting compliance grew to 98 percent in the 2010-11 flu season from 80.9 percent during the 2009-10 season.

In Lake County, the report found that at St. Helena Hospital Clearlake 60.4 percent of employees, 44 percent of nonemployee health care personnel and 68.2 percent of volunteers were vaccinated.

At Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport, 57.5 percent of employees, 62.3 percent of nonemployee health care personnel and 45.1 percent of volunteer received vaccinations, the report showed.

“Vaccination of all health care workers is strongly recommended in order to prevent transmission of the illness to patients, especially those with long-term medical conditions who are at high-risk for serious complications from the flu,” said Dr. Chapman.

Agencies across the state are joining Dr. Chapman in promoting more vaccination of health care workers, through a letter distributed to all hospitals, long-term care facilities and physician groups throughout the state.

Those joining Dr. Chapman including the California Hospital Association, California Association of Health Facilities, California Medical Association and organizations of health care professionals.

The report released by CDPH offers the following recommendations to improve influenza vaccination coverage among health care professionals:

• Hospitals should consider more rigorous influenza vaccination policies, such as mandatory participation or vaccination, to increase influenza vaccination percentages.

• Hospitals should ensure that influenza vaccination status is a requirement of contracts with physician groups, registry organizations, fellowships, and student training programs.

• Hospitals should account for the vaccination status of all non-employee health care personnel, including registry and contract personnel, students, and trainees.

• Hospitals should implement robust data collection and management systems to document the vaccination status of all health care personnel.

The report can be viewed below.

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120511 CDPH Health Care Workers Influenza Vaccination Report