The policy has three goals:
- To increase influenza immunization rates in healthcare workers employed in BC health authorities
- To prevent transmission of influenza from healthcare workers to patients/residents/clients and to other healthcare workers in healthcare facilities in BC
- To reduce influenza-related absenteeism in healthcare workers employed by health authorities in BC
- Healthcare worker immunization coverage
In the decade prior to the policy, influenza immunization rates among healthcare workers ranged from 40-46% in acute care facilities, and 56-68% in long-term care facilities, both well below the former target of 80%.
Following introduction of the policy, the immunization rate rose in 2013/14 to an average of 75% for healthcare workers in acute care (i.e., hospitals), and 79% for healthcare workers in long term care facilities.