Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccination

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all healthcare personnel (HCP) and persons in training for healthcare professions should be vaccinated annually against influenza. In the state of Tennessee, acute care hospitals have been required to report data on healthcare worker influenza vaccination to NHSN since January 2013. Long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) and ambulatory surgery centers have been required to report healthcare worker influenza vaccination data beginning with the 2014/2015 influenza season. Outpatient hemodialysis facilities and inpatient psychiatric facilities are required to report healthcare worker influenza vaccination data beginning with the 2015/2016 influenza season.

Despite 2018 CMS changes, LTAC hospitals, and IRFs are still required to report health care worker influenza data in Tennessee. Please see the Quick Reference guide below for details.

Facilities must report vaccinations received between July 1 and March 31 of each year by healthcare personnel at the facility, vaccinations received outside the facility, medical contraindications, and declinations. Data must be reported for all employees on payroll; licensed independent practitioners (physicians, advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants affiliated with the hospital but not on payroll); and students, trainees, and volunteers aged 18 or older.

For details on reporting requirements, please see the information provided below.

Which health care facilities need to report?

All acute care hospitals (excluding critical access hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers), long-term acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities,  outpatient hemodialysis facilities and inpatient psychiatric facilities must report.

What information must be reported?

The following numerator data* should be reported:

  • Vaccinations received by healthcare personnel at the facility
  • Vaccinations received outside the facility
  • Medical contraindications
  • Declinations
  • Unknown

The following denominator data** should be reported:

  • Employees (staff on facility payroll)
  • Licensed independent practitioners
  • Adult students/trainees & volunteers
  • Optional: Other Contract Personnel

*Numerator categories are mutually exclusive and are to be entered separately for each denominator. 
Sum of numerator categories should be equal to the denominator for each HCP group

**Denominator categories are mutually exclusive

When is information reported?

Data are collected on an ongoing basis throughout the influenza season. Data may be entered on a monthly basis (entering cumulative data) or may be entered once into NHSN; data must be submitted by May 15th.

How should the information be reported?

Those who report must use the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) web application via the Healthcare Personnel Safety (HPS) component.

For more information see the following links:

Healthcare Personnel Influenza Forms – Reporting Plan

Healthcare Personnel Influenza Forms - Influenza Vaccination Summary Form