Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan HS (1), Ho PYB (1), Kwok MLA (2), Yeung KL (3), Lee SCP (4), Yau CM (5), Chan SP (1), Chan TJ (6), Chau MCM (7), Chui ST (8), Lee CK (9), Yiu LPA (10), Chiu CSG (11).
Affiliation :
(1) Central Nursing Division, Prince of Wales Hospital; (2) Central Nursing Division, Bradbury Hospital, Cheshire Home Shatin & Shatin Hospital (3) Central Nursing Division, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital & Tai Po Hospital (4) Central Nursing Division, North District Hospital (5) Private Unit, Prince of Wales Hospital; (6) Department of Orthopedics & Traumatology, Prince of Wales Hospital; (7) Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Prince of Wales Hospital; (8) Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital; (9) Department of Operation Theatre, Prince of Wales Hospital; (10) Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital; (11) Infection Control Team, Prince of Wales Hospital.
Introduction :
Staff influenza vaccination (SIV) plays a critical role to protect our staff and vulnerable patients from getting infection by influenza and prevent the spread of influenza to people around them. To promote and facilitate staff receiving the influenza vaccine, NTEC Central Nursing Division (CND) has taken up the coordination role to cultivate a culture and ensure easy accessibility of receiving Flu vaccine in New Territory East Cluster (NTEC) hospitals. These have been proven as very effective proactive measures to achieve the high vaccination rate.
Objectives :
1. To cultivate a norm and culture for staff to receive flu vaccination to protect themselves, patient and people around them. 2. To promote peer group influence. 3. To devise effective promotion strategies 4. To ensure vaccine is available and accessible.
Methodology :
A few strategies are implemented in the promotion of SIV program:
To cultivate a culture of flu vaccination among staff, starting from October every year, we will greet and warmly remind our colleagues to receive flu vaccination in every occasion and recruit department ambassadors to help promotion in their department. There are over 1000 staff volunteered to be the NTEC Department Ambassadors to share the importance and advantages of staff vaccination and act as role model to their colleagues.
To promulgate the vaccination campaign, a “Flu shot song [齊齊打針歌]” was composed by our doctor a few years ago. Each year, the song has been broadcasted in hospital twice daily during the vaccination period. Besides, videos on the promotion of vaccination are produced and advertised in public areas in the hospital. All staff will know it’s time for flu vaccination when they hear the song or watch the videos. Moreover, photos of staff vaccination are posted up on hospitals’ web-site. Interesting photos such as staff members who self-jab, jab each other, jab together with friends, jab during zoom are published.
To ensure availability and accessibility of flu vaccination for staff, the vaccination deports are planted “Here, There, and Everywhere”. Firstly, department vaccination deports “放工打針站”are set up soon after the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Kick-off. Ward mangers would provide on-site vaccination to their staff so that they are not required to leave their workplace for vaccination. Secondly, CNDs arrange numerous of VOW services such as “針e-道服務” for targeting participants of department meetings, forums and trainings; Pop-up vaccine store “午間限定”set up regularly outside staff canteen; LaLaJab “針針送”provide on-site injection service to departments with both scheduled sessions and ad hoc calling via hotline. Our senior managers will also join the VOW service to clinical areas as encouragement and role model.
Result & Outcome :
From September 2022 to mid-of-March 2023, there were over 90 VOW sessions conducted in PWH. Around 2900 staff of PWH received the vaccination through this program. It counted for 80% of the total number of staff vaccinated in PWH. The same arrangement is also arranged in all NTEC hospitals. As at 16 March 2023, NTEC has 55.7% staff received the influenza vaccine. The staff influenza vaccination rate is much higher than that of HA average (41.4%).
In summary, staff influenza vaccination is important to protect our staff and patients. Proactive approach and staff engagement in the program are crucial strategies towards high staff vaccination rate. The culture of staff receiving vaccination has been embedded in NTEC.
