The role of the Canadian Healthcare Influenza Immunization Network (CHIIN) is to bring together healthcare practitioners, researchers, policy makers and infectious disease and occupational health experts. The goal is to work together to increase the number of healthcare workers being immunized.
In Canada about 4,000 – 5,000 people die of influenza and influenza disease-related complications each year, many of whom are elderly and in long-term and acute healthcare organizations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends 90% of healthcare workers be immunized to help reduce the number of people suffering complications and dying from influenza.
Current rates in Canadian healthcare organizations ranges from 40% - 60%, well below the guidelines.
The CHIIN project team is leading the research into how to meet the WHO and NACI guidelines.
Research will help explain why healthcare workers are not being immunized and will help develop evidence-based strategies to increase the rates and will lead to decreased deaths among the elderly in long-term and acute care organizations.
