Important Health Message - Seasonal Influenza Vaccine 2014
· Influenza can have severe consequences for residents and staff in aged care services
· Vaccination for staff and residents is an effective way to reduce risk of infection
· Vaccination is free under the National Immunisation Program for anyone 65 years of age and over.
Dear Directors of Nursing and Care Managers
Influenza is an acute, highly infectious respiratory viral infection and is a notifiable disease in all states and territories if laboratory confirmed. As an organisation that provides services to older people, I encourage you to protect your staff and residents from serious or life threatening illnesses associated with influenza. To help prevent outbreaks and spread of influenza, you should ensure that your staff have good hand hygiene and infection control practices in place. Should there be an outbreak in the community, it is advisable for family members and visitors who are unwell with influenza-like symptoms not to visit residents. All staff with influenza-like symptoms should also be advised to stay away from work until they are symptom-free or are cleared by their doctor to return to work.
Clients that are particularly at risk of developing such complications are those 65 years of age and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders 15 years of age and over, pregnant women and individuals six months of age and over with chronic disease that are at risk of severe influenza. The influenza vaccine is provided free of charge to these at-risk groups under the
National Immunisation Program.
The four essential interventions for the prevention and management of influenza outbreaks in in residential aged care homes are:
1. Vaccination of clients and staff
2. Application of appropriate infection control practices
3. Outbreak recognition and management (including laboratory confirmation)
4. Policy development and planning to support vaccination and infection control.
Two strains of the 2014 trivalent influenza vaccine differ from those included in 2013 season. Given the 2014 vaccine contains two new strains, it is especially important that those at risk be vaccinated.
You may have heard that a particular brand of influenza vaccine, bioCSL Fluvax is no longer registered for use in children under five years of age. BioCSL Fluvax was associated with an increase in febrile convulsions in children in 2010 and has not been registered for children under five years of age since 2011. There are alternative vaccines available for use in children.
Are you prepared for an outbreak of flu?
· Do you have an influenza vaccination program to encourage high rates of vaccinations for your residents?
· Are resident vaccination records updated regularly?
· Do you have an influenza vaccination program for your staff?
· Are staff vaccination records updated regularly?
· Do you have an updated infection control plan in place?
· Do you know who to contact in case of an outbreak of influenza in your residential aged care home?
· Do your staff understand and carry out correct hand hygiene and infection control practices?
· Do you have a system to ensure that family and friends are notified in case of an outbreak of influenza?
To promote uptake of the vaccine, the Department of Health has developed posters and fact sheets for health professionals and consumers. For further information or copies of the seasonal influenza communications material for 2014 see www.immunise.health.gov.au. Alternatively you may contact the Immunisation Australia Information line on 1800 671 811.
For advice about prevention and control of influenza in community aged care services, you may refer to the Influ-Info Kit for Aged Care. Copies of this kit can be downloaded from the Department of Health’s website.
Yours sincerely
Dr Susan Hunt RN, FACN Senior Nurse Adviser
Aged Care Quality and Compliance Group
19 March 2014