Holland Hospital’s administration announced a mandatory flu vaccination policy beginning in the fall of 2013. The new policy applies to all Holland Hospital, Lakeshore Health Partners and Holland Hospital Services employees, medical staff, volunteers, contract employees and students. With the adoption of the mandatory flu vaccination policy, Holland Hospital joins several other major health care providers in west Michigan who require their employees and support staff to be vaccinated. “We have offered the flu vaccine on a voluntary basis for many years,” explains Matthew Fletcher, D.O., Internal Medicine specialist and hospital Infection Control Medical Director. “Approximately two-thirds of our workforce consistently received a flu shot. However, our goal is to have our entire staff receive the flu shot, except for those who are medically ineligible to receive it.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the national average of influenza vaccination among health care workers was estimated at 63.5% during the 2010-2011 flu season. The participation rate was 98.1% among healthcare workers who had an employer requirement for vaccination. “We want to protect our patients, employees, medical staff, volunteers, and their families safe from the flu virus,” Fletcher says. “Mandatory influenza vaccination has become the community standard. It’s the right thing to do.”
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