Infectious Respiratory Illness

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Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division
651-201-5414
IDEPC Comment Form

Contact Info

Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division
651-201-5414
IDEPC Comment Form

Vaccinating Health Care Workers: Influenza and COVID-19

Health care workers should protect themselves from respiratory illnesses by being vaccinated. They are more likely to get sick from respiratory illnesses through contact with sick patients. Health care workers who protect themselves through vaccination also help protect their patients, family, and community members.

RespSafe
RespSafe is a Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) program that recognizes Minnesota hospitals and long-term care facilities for their commitment to high flu and COVID-19 vaccination rates among health care personnel.

Recommended strategies to improve vaccination coverage for health care personnel

By participating in the RespSafe program, facilities commit to implementing two or more activities that support immunization quality improvement. The goal is to improve your staff’s vaccine coverage rates. While RespSafe participants must implement two of the activities below, other health care facilities can also use this list to identify strategies to select for their own immunization quality improvement projects.

Immunization quality improvement is important work. It is also important to recognize that despite best efforts to increase vaccine coverage rates, some people may decline vaccination. Respect people’s decisions. Suggested quality improvement activities for RespSafe participants and other health care facilities fall into one of four core strategies:

  • Identify perceptions, motivations, and barriers to vaccination among staff.
    • Walk the floors asking open-ended questions.
    • Seek out trusted leaders/peers to help identify vaccination considerations between different staff groups (e.g., staff position, cultural).
    • Hold group listening sessions.
    • Survey staff anonymously.
  • Promote employee’s awareness of their own immunization history through accessing their own record.
    • Staff can access their own Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) record by:
      • Using the Docket app or website to download a PDF copy.
      • Getting it from a health care provider that participates in MIIC.
      • Requesting a PDF copy from MIIC.
    • For more information on how to access your MIIC record visit Find My Immunization Record.
  • Educate staff on the importance of facilities assessing staff’s vaccination status.
  • Utilize VaxCheck to obtain consent from staff to view influenza and COVID-19 vaccination records for the current respiratory season.

  • Develop a communications plan. 
  • Set up communication venues for relaying information on vaccination to staff. 
    • Address staff in cohorts (e.g., nursing, administration support staff, dietary, etc.).
  • Partner with trusted leaders, peers, or community members who are vaccine advocates to relay information.
    • Vaccine advocates believe in vaccination and share their experience with staff to spread positive messages and demonstrate confidence in vaccines.
    • Consider trusted peers from diverse backgrounds.
  • Build a positive culture of vaccination. 
    • Display reasons staff choose to get vaccinated (e.g., bulletin board, feature in newsletter, etc.).
    • Give energy to the positive aspects of vaccination and not the negative.
  • Focus on building trust between leadership and staff, even outside of vaccine efforts. Trust is key when providing information to staff.
    • Seek out resources such as Moving Needle’s Building Trust tool and implement activities that build trust with employees.
    • Step back and focus on relationship-building when continued vaccination offerings pushes staff further away.

  • Support trusted leaders/peers through a feedback loop.
    • Provide updates on vaccine information and rationale in layman’s terms.
    • Allow space for discussing questions/concerns that trusted leaders/peers are hearing and how to address them.
    • Offer a resource list for trusted leaders/peers to share with staff as they are not expected to be vaccination experts.
    • Promote attending the Vaccinate Your Family University Advocates trainings.
  • Support clinical staff on how to relay vaccine information to staff. Utilize Voice’s for Vaccines’ Becoming Trusted Messengers online course.
  • Conduct an in-service for staff on the benefits and considerations of vaccination.
    • Utilize Moving Needles’ Frontline Staff Survey and In-Service resources to assist in developing your training. This is designed to target long-term care staff, but principles may be applicable to other health care staff.
    • Make a strong vaccine recommendation to your staff utilizing CDC’s SHARE model to Make a Strong Influenza Vaccine Recommendation.
      • SHARE the reasons.
      • HIGHLIGHT positive experiences.
      • ADDRESS staff questions.
      • REMIND staff that vaccines help protect them, their patients, and their loved ones.
      • EXPLAIN the potential costs of getting a vaccine preventable disease.
    • Use facts from trusted sources (e.g., medical director, health care providers, pharmacists, government agencies, coworkers with medical training) to counter vaccine misinformation and disinformation.
    • Consider using real life examples by someone of the same cultural background.
  • Provide to staff culturally specific information from trusted sources on effects of the disease, vaccine risks and benefits, and balanced information on vaccine effectiveness, side effects, and potential long-term effects.

  • Make vaccines accessible.
    • Offer vaccine events during work hours for all shifts and at multiple times throughout the year and during the respiratory season.
    • Offer vaccine events during required in-services to ensure most employees will be in attendance.
  • Roll out the red-carpet during vaccination events for every shift.
    • Provide items such as snacks, food, drinks, and raffles.
    • Offer swag that promotes vaccination (e.g., t-shirts, lanyards, pens, water bottles, etc.).
  • Promote vaccination resources for uninsured or out-of-network insured employees.
    • Purchase vaccination vouchers for staff to use at a local pharmacy.
    • Partner with your local public health department, pharmacy, or other vaccination partner to host a vaccination event.
    • Share Where to Get Vaccinated.

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Last Updated: 09/23/2024