Hospital worker immunizations increase in Washington state

Seattle – With 86 percent of its hospital workers immunized against influenza, the state of Washington leads the country in hospital worker immunizations, according to the Washington State Hospital Association.

Washington’s rate is 15 percent higher than the national average, WSHA said in a press release. The gains were attributed to WSHA’s Quality Benchmarking System, a new tool that allows hospitals to track their own performance and compare results to other hospitals.

Also, in a departure from previous voluntary policies, Washington last year required hospital employees to get immunized or take protective measures to prevent flu transmission in hospitals.

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