Health staff who don't get flu jab must wear masks

Photo / Thinkstock

Northland District Health Board staff members who have not had a flu jab are required to wear masks when dealing with at-risk patients this winter.

Margareth Broodkoorn, director of nursing and midwifery, said all staff were encouraged to have a flu jab as part of the national campaign promoting influenza vaccination, and three weeks into the vaccination programme 50 per cent of staff had been immunised.

The DHB was aiming for 70 per cent for the year. In 2014, 50 per cent of staff were vaccinated.

"If they choose not to, for medical reasons or otherwise, we require they wear a mask when treating at-risk patients, throughout our services, hospital and community based," Ms Broodkoorn said.

"This is a patient safety initiative, to protect those most at risk in our communities."

The policy has been in place for two years, at hospital and community-based NDHB services. At-risk patients are those already ill in hospital and in community-based care, those more at risk of flu included people who live with chronic illness, pregnant women, infants, and those aged over 65.

A delay in receiving the vaccine this year resulted in the vaccine roll-out being delayed by three weeks.

"This was to develop the necessary vaccine to cover the expected strain we were most likely to encounter this year," Ms Broodkoorn said.

"Influenza can affect any one, no matter how fit, active or healthy they are, and the impact on those more vulnerable is greatly exacerbated," Ms Broodkoorn said.

"Our winter planning is focused on patient safety initiatives to protect our community, vulnerable patients, whilst also maintaining a healthy workforce."

Ministry of Health information showed there were 37,850 influenza vaccinations distributed in Northland in 2014, a decrease from the 38,157 distributed in 2013.

However, the number of vaccinations distributed in the two most recent years were substantially higher than the 31,700 in 2012.