Immunizations among hospital personnel.

To minimize the likelihood of transmission of certain infectious diseases within the hospital, the 5 million US health care personnel are becoming a special target group for immunization programs. A review of immunizations conducted by a hospital employee health service demonstrated that 80% of hospital employees are adequately protected against tetanus/diphtheria, and 97% are immune to rubella. In contrast, only 28% of at-risk employees are immunized against hepatitis B and only 2% are immunized against influenza. Vaccination programs for tetanus/diphtheria and rubella, which are supported by appropriate legislation, are more effective than vaccination programs for hepatitis B and influenza, which are not supported by appropriate legislation.