GET POKED: Comparing an Incentive-Based Flu Campaign with Vaccinate-or-Mask Policies to Boost Influenza Vaccination Rates Among Healthcare Workers

Healthc Q. 2016;18(4):73-9. doi: 10.12927/hcq.2016.24546.

Abstract

The median influenza vaccination rate for Toronto acute care facilities in 2013/14 was only 44%, well below the target rate of 90%. While many Toronto hospitals adopted a vaccinate-or-mask policy, Trillium Health Partners (THP) opted to create a multimodal incentives-based flu campaign entitled GET POKED. This campaign, which required significant additional resourcing, only increased our vaccination rate by 10%. While having some modest success, we believe it is unlikely that non-policy based interventions will efficiently and sustainably raise flu vaccine rates. Vaccinate-or-mask policies, while having some inherent challenges, may be worth exploring as part of THP's larger flu-prevention strategy.

MeSH terms

  • Health Personnel / statistics & numerical data*
  • Health Policy
  • Humans
  • Influenza Vaccines*
  • Influenza, Human / prevention & control*
  • Masks / statistics & numerical data*
  • Motivation*
  • Ontario
  • Vaccination / statistics & numerical data*

Substances

  • Influenza Vaccines