Transcript Peer Immunisation Seasonal Influenza

Flu Vaccination Through Peer
Immunisation: What
immunising staff need to
know?
Public Health Protection Unit
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Why is flu important in health
care setting?
• It is a highly infectious viral illness
• Someone with flu can infect others at least 24
hours before symptoms develop
• Severe complications of flu include pneumonia,
encephalitis and meningitis
• Most serious illness in neonates, pregnant
women, older people and those with underlying
chronic medical conditions - the people most
likely to be in contact with health care staff
How serious is flu in some
patients?
• In Scotland, in the flu season 2010/11, 177
patients were seriously ill in an ITU and 63 died
• Overall flu related death rates among those in
the risk groups are approximately 11 times
higher than those not in the risk groups
• During the 2009/10 flu pandemic, 12 pregnant
women died in the UK and the risk in them dying
was 7 fold higher than a non pregnant women of
same age
How is flu spread?
• Flu is highly contagious. It is passed on
when people breathe in droplets
containing the flu virus that have been
coughed and sneezed into the air
• You can also catch flu by touching objects
and surfaces contaminated by the virus
• From the time a person is first infected by
the virus, it can take between one to three
days before any symptoms develop
How can staff protect themselves?
• Through vaccination: this is required annually as
the virus is constantly changing and every year
the vaccine is matched against the circulating
strain
• Through good infection control practice: good
infection control practice is important for
reducing health care associated infection but
this may have limited impact for flu as staff can
be infectious before symptoms develop
Which staff are eligible for the flu
vaccine ?
• All staff directly employed by NHSGGC
are eligible e.g.
• Portering services
• Domestic staff
• Laboratory staff
• Medical staff
• Nursing staff
Administration of the flu vaccine
• A single intramuscular injection of 0.5 ml into
the deltoid area of the arm (pre-filled syringe
contains one dose only)
• If the person receiving the vaccine has a known
bleeding disorder the vaccine should be given
as a deep subcutaneous route
• Skin cleansing is not necessary
• If spirit swabs are used the skin should be
allowed to dry before the vaccine is
administered .
Administration of the flu vaccine
Is The Vaccine Safe ?
• All vaccines are rigorously tested and the same vaccine production
techniques have been used for many decades.
• The first flu vaccine was developed in 1945 and vaccination has been
recommended in the UK since the late 1960s i.e. for the last 50 years. The
seasonal flu vaccine is therefore well established and very safe.
• The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is
the agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices
are safe. The MHRA follow up all reported and suspected adverse events
following flu vaccination.
•Millions and millions of doses of flu vaccine have been used over
decades in North America, Europe and Australia with no serious safety
concerns.
Possible side effects after
receiving the flu vaccine
• Pain, swelling and redness at injection site
for 24 to 48 hours
• Low grade fever, malaise, headache and
muscle aches for 24 to 48 hours
• Very rarely anaphylactic reaction but
unlikely if had flu vaccine previously
Contraindications to receiving
the vaccine
• There are very few contraindications to flu
vaccine
• Check the Patient Group Direction for
contraindications (PGD)
• If they had the flu vaccine before, there is
unlikely to be any contraindications
• If a contraindication is identified please seek
advice from Public Health Protection Unit
(PHPU) 0141-201-4917
Can flu vaccine give me the flu?
• No
• The flu vaccine is made from incomplete parts of the dead flu virus which
can not reproduce in your body
•The vaccine contains 3 strains (H1N1, H3N2 and a type B) of the flu
viruses that are most likely to be circulating this winter
• Flu vaccine made this way can not give you the flu as this is not
biologically possible
• The vaccine can take 10 to 14 days to produce antibodies, so you could
still catch flu before it starts to work
• Only 10 to 15% of all flu like illnesses during winter months are due to
the flu virus. Other respiratory viruses that also circulate in the winter
months account for the remainder of the flu like illnesses. Flu vaccine will
not prevent these infections
How is the vaccine packaged?
• It comes in a pre-filled syringe in single
dose
What is Peer
Immunisation?
• The Staff Flu Peer Immunisation
Programme simply allows clinical staff to
immunise their colleagues
• This enable them to get vaccinated on site
of their work without having to attend a mass
vaccination or occupational health clinics
• Staff working in the evenings, night shift
and at weekends can also get vaccinated on
site while at work
Peer Immunisation – Opt in
Process
• PGD: Patient Group Direction - legal
document allowing the immuniser to
administer the seasonal flu vaccine. Must be
signed by immuniser and clinical lead for the
area.
•The Influenza PGD can be downloaded from
the flu website in the Peer Immunisation
Section
Peer Immunisation – Opt in Process
Peer Immunisation – Clinic Process
Screening for fitness and suitability
of receiving the vaccine
• Scan screening form
• Advise colleague to print off the
screening/consent form prior to receiving
the vaccine
Recording of the flu vaccine
• Ensure that the form has been completed
by your colleague prior to administering
the vaccine
• Use the sticky label on the prefilled syringe
which has the batch number and expiry
date and place on the screening form,
• Date the form and sign your signature
Where do the forms get returned
to?
• On completion of the vaccine being given
• Please return to :
Carol McCafferty
Project Administrator
Public Health Protection Unit
Room 7.02, 1st Floor, West House
Gartnavel Royal Hospital
Any Questions ?
• Contact PHPU
• 0141 201 4917
• [email protected]