Due to the nature of their work, healthcare workers are at increased risk of encountering, contracting and spreading vaccine-preventable diseases.

To protect their staff and the patients in their care, particularly those who are vulnerable (e.g. young children, pregnant patients and older adults), health service organisations are expected to maintain a workforce immunisation program and encourage all staff to be vaccinated (DoHaAC 2022).

Workforce Immunisation in the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards

Workforce immunisation is outlined in Action 3.15 of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, under Standard 3: Preventing and Controlling Infections.

This action aims to protect healthcare workforces and patients from vaccine-preventable diseases. Providers are required to have a risk-based workforce screening and immunisation program that:

• Is consistent with the Australian Immunisation Handbook
• Is consistent with state and territory requirements for vaccine-preventable diseases
• Addresses specific risks to the workforce and patients.

(ACSQHC 2019)

Workforce Immunisation Under the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards

Standard 4: The Environment - Outcome 4.2: Infection prevention and control under the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards (Action 4.2.1) requires aged care providers to establish an infection prevention and control system that:

• Is informed by staff immunisation and infection rates
• Includes risk-based vaccine-preventable disease screening and vaccination for staff.

(ACQSC 2024)

Which Vaccinations Should Healthcare Workers Receive?

The Australian Immunisation Handbook outlines the following recommendations for healthcare staff:

(AIH 2021)

Note: While the Australian Immunisation Handbook provides recommendations, individual states and territories may have mandated vaccination requirements that healthcare workers need to follow. Make sure you refer to your jurisdiction’s guidelines (AIH 2021).

For example, in Victoria, healthcare workers who are employed in certain healthcare settings are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (Health.vic 2023).

Workforce Immunisation Risk Matrix

The following matrix, developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, is designed to determine the risk posed to an individual healthcare organisation by vaccine-preventable diseases (ACSQHC 2023).

(All tables adapted from ACSQHC 2023)

Once the risk level has been assessed, the organisation is expected to establish an action plan to address these identified risks (ACSQHC 2023).

Encouraging Vaccine Uptake Among Staff

The following strategies may help encourage staff to participate in annual influenza vaccinations and other vaccination programs:

• Hold a session to inform staff about the importance of vaccination and their role in preventing transmission
• Address any misconceptions about vaccines
• Utilise email, SMS or other technology to provide information to staff
• Promote the vaccination program verbally and through posters, flyers, newsletters and other materials
• Subsidise the vaccines, if possible
• Ensure the program is accessible to staff (time, location etc.)
• Send reminders through email, SMS or phone
• Plan vaccination programs in advance, taking into account logistics and the materials required.

(Queensland Health 2019)

Accessing Staff Vaccination Records

While health service organisations may keep records of vaccinations administered at work, staff should also keep personal records so that they can easily keep track of their immunisation status (Better Health Channel 2022).

Healthcare staff may need to provide documentation proving they have received certain vaccinations (AIH 2021).

Any vaccines administered after 1996 are recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (Better Health Channel 2022).

Conclusion

In order to protect staff and patients from vaccine-preventable diseases, health service organisations have a responsibility to establish policies, procedures and protocols as part of a comprehensive workforce immunisation program.