Flu Season Is Here: Vaccination Rates Vary by Setting; FDA Confident This Year's Vaccine Will Work

Seventy-six percent of long-term care workers reported receiving the flu vaccine during the 2017–2018 season, according to a September 28, 2018, report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The results come from an online survey of 2,265 U.S. healthcare personnel conducted between March 27 and April 17, 2018. Across all settings, 78.4% of healthcare workers reported receiving the flu vaccine in 2017–2018. CDC recommends that all U.S. healthcare personnel receive the flu vaccine every year. Personnel whose employers required them to be vaccinated had the highest rates of vaccination (94.8%). Settings where vaccination was not required, promoted, or offered on-site saw the lowest rates (47.6%). This finding is consistent with the results of previous seasons, CDC said.