Winter Preparedness in Sutton Carolyn Moore Infection Prevention - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Winter Preparedness in Sutton

Carolyn Moore Infection Prevention and Control Nurse Sutton CCG/Public Health, Sutton

• Poses a significant risk

to all healthcare providers

• Key factor in NHS winter

pressures

• Often underestimated
• Estimated that up to

25% of HCWs contract flu during the season

Influenza - seasonal

What is flu?

• Flu is an acute viral infection of the respiratory tract

(nose, mouth, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs)

• Highly infectious illness which spreads rapidly in

closed communities

• Easily transmitted by large droplets, small-particle

aerosols and by hand to mouth/eye contamination from an infected surface or respiratory secretions of infected person

• Incubation period 1-5 days (average 2-3 days) though

may be longer especially in people with immune deficiency

• Even people with mild or no symptoms can infect
• thers

Features of flu

Common symptoms include:

• Sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle and

joint pain

• A fever - 38oC or higher or feeling feverish (not

everyone with the flu has a fever)

• Extreme fatigue
• Dry cough and/or sore throat
• A runny or stuffy nose
• In young children gastrointestinal symptoms such as

vomiting and diarrhoea may be seen

Symptoms of flu

How the flu vaccine works

• The injected flu vaccine stimulates the body's immune

system to make antibodies which attack the flu virus.

• Antibodies are proteins that recognise and fight off

germs, such as viruses, that have invaded the blood.

• If exposed to the flu virus after the flu vaccine, the

immune system will recognise the virus and immediately produce antibodies to fight it.

• It may take 10 to 14 days for immunity to build up fully

after the flu vaccine.

Flu vaccine effectiveness

• Efficacy calculated at between 50-60% for adults aged 18-65yrs,
• Lower efficacy in elderly although immunisation shown to reduce

incidence of severe disease including bronchopneumonia, hospital admissions and mortality

• In 2014/15 the flu vaccine only provided limited protection against

infection caused by one particular strain of flu A (H3N2)

• Throughout the last decade, there has generally been a good match

between the strains of flu in the vaccine and those that subsequently circulated

• It is crucial the mismatch in winter 2014/15 does not discourage at-

risk groups from having flu vaccination in future flu seasons

• Flu vaccination remains the best way to protect people from flu

The national flu immunisation programme 2015/16

Health and social care workers

• HCWs are more likely to be infected than other members
• f the general public
• Evidence vaccination significantly lowers rates of flu-like

illness, hospitalisation and mortality in elderly in long-term healthcare settings

• Reduces transmission of flu to vulnerable patients, some
• f whom may have impaired immunity that may not

respond well to immunisation

• Vaccination of frontline workers also helps reduce

sickness absences and contributes to keeping the NHS and care services running through winter pressures

Barriers to flu vaccine uptake in HCWs

• Most common reason is that HCWs do not

believe that they need the vaccine – personal protection

• Concerns about adverse reactions
• Concerns about vaccine efficacy
• Lack of access

Mythbusters

• The flu vaccine gave me the flu!
• I never get the flu so I do not need to have the

vaccine

• The flu vaccine is not safe
• The vaccine does not work
• I do not need to have the vaccine every year
• I have had the flu already this year so I don’t need

the vaccine

• The flu vaccine cannot protect me against swine

flu

• I missed the jab before December so it is not

worth having it now

Key messages

• Much greater focus on preventing transmission
• Annual vaccination of health and social care workers

(Duty of care)is the most effective method. It protects them & reduces risk of spreading flu to their patients, service users, colleagues and family members

• The code of practice on the prevention and control of

infections and related guidance reminds you of your responsibilities.

• Employers should make vaccines available free of

charge to employees if a risk assessment indicates that they are needed

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Take back messages for your staff

• Duty of care as professionals to your residents to do everything in their power

to protect them against infection, including being immunised against flu

• Getting vaccinated against flu can help protect them, their patients and family
• Everyone is susceptible to flu, even if you are in good health and eat well
• They can be infected with the virus and have no symptoms but can still pass

flu virus to others including patients or residents

• Good infection control measures reduce spread of flu and other acute

respiratory infections in healthcare settings but are not sufficient alone to prevent them

• Impact of flu on frail and vulnerable patients can be fatal and outbreaks can

cause severe disruption in communities, care homes and hospitals

• Flu vaccine has a good safety record and will provide protection.
• The flu vaccine CANNOT give you flu.

Pregnant women

• All pregnant women are recommended to receive the inactivated

flu vaccine irrespective of their stage of pregnancy

• Pregnant women are at increased risk from complications if they

contract flu

• Having flu during pregnancy may be associated with premature birth

and smaller birth size and weight

• Flu vaccination during pregnancy provides passive immunity against

flu to infants in the first few months of life

• Studies on safety of flu vaccine in pregnancy show that inactivated flu

vaccine can be safely and effectively administered during any trimester of pregnancy

• No study to date has demonstrated an increased risk of either

maternal complications or adverse foetal outcomes associated with inactivated flu vaccine

• Women should be offered the vaccine every time they are pregnant