Standard Operating Procedure for flu vaccination of healthcare staff
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guides the delivery of influenza vaccination to NHS Wales staff by peer vaccinators.
This element of the annual influenza vaccination programme for Wales is the administration of annual influenza vaccination by peers to individuals who work in NHS Wales. The annual influenza programme is an element of the National Immunisation Framework for Wales.
Background
Influenza (or flu as it is commonly referred to), is an acute viral infection of the respiratory tract and is highly infectious. The aim of the annual influenza vaccination programme is to protect those most vulnerable. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) currently advises annual flu vaccination for healthcare staff with direct patient/client contact. Annual influenza vaccination has been recommended for healthcare staff in Wales for many years.
All NHS Wales organisations provide annual flu vaccination free to all their staff. This is to protect the individual from catching and/or spreading this respiratory virus to colleagues, and also to patients/clients, some of whom may be very vulnerable to influenza and its complications.
Delivery of annual influenza vaccination to healthcare staff via the peer vaccinator model is well established across NHS Wales, and feedback has indicated that a standard operating procedure (SOP) to support this would be welcome and useful to organisations.