Healthcare Workers Have More Frequent and Less Severe Influenza-Like Illness Than Non-healthcare Workers: Findings From the PAIVED Study - Scorecard - MDSpire
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Healthcare Workers Have More Frequent and Less Severe Influenza-Like Illness Than Non-healthcare Workers: Findings From the PAIVED Study
Clinical Scorecard: Influenza-Like Illness Occurs More Often and Is Less Severe in Healthcare Workers Compared to Non-Healthcare Workers: Insights from the PAIVED Study
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Influenza-like illness (ILI)
Key Mechanisms
Increased exposure to respiratory pathogens in healthcare workers (HCWs) leading to higher ILI incidence despite vaccination
Target Population
Healthcare workers with direct patient contact and non-healthcare workers aged ≥18 years
Care Setting
Military Health System outpatient and clinical settings
Key Highlights
Healthcare workers reported higher incidence of ILI (24.1%) compared to non-HCWs (17.4%) despite influenza vaccination.
HCWs experienced less severe ILI symptoms, fewer days with fever, and generally milder illness compared to non-HCWs.
No significant difference in specific pathogen detection between HCWs and non-HCWs was observed.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Monitor for influenza-like illness symptoms in HCWs and non-HCWs during influenza seasons.
Use nasal swab pathogen detection when ILI symptoms are reported.
Management
Administer annual influenza vaccination to all healthcare workers as recommended by CDC and ACIP.
Consider symptom diaries to assess illness severity and duration.
Monitoring & Follow-up
Track ILI incidence and severity in HCWs to identify occupational risk and inform prevention strategies.
Monitor vaccination adherence rates among HCWs to improve coverage.
Risks
Increased risk of occupationally acquired influenza and potential nosocomial transmission from HCWs.
Lost workdays and associated healthcare system costs due to ILI in HCWs.
Patient & Prescribing Data
Adults eligible for medical care through the Military Health System, including healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers.
All participants received FDA-approved influenza vaccines (egg-based, cell-based, or recombinant), with no difference in vaccine effectiveness between types; HCWs still had higher ILI incidence but less severe symptoms.
Clinical Best Practices
Encourage and facilitate annual influenza vaccination among healthcare workers to reduce occupational risk.
Implement surveillance for ILI symptoms and pathogen detection in HCWs to promptly identify and manage cases.
Address barriers to vaccination adherence in HCWs, including education on risk and vaccine effectiveness.
Consider institutional policies to improve vaccination rates and reduce nosocomial transmission.
by Ryan Liberg, Kat Schmidt, Christina Schofield, Anuradha Ganesan, Wesley Campbell, David Hrncir, Tahaniyat Lalani, Tyler Warkentien, Katrin Mende, Ana E Markelz, Catherine M Berjohn, Laurie Housel, Jitendrakumar R Modi, Adam Saperstein, Alan Williams, Bruce McClenathan, Christina Spooner, Srihari Seshadri, Ryan C Maves, John H Powers, Robert J O’Connell, Mark P Simons, Simon D Pollett, Christian L Coles, Rhonda E Colombo, Timothy Burgess, Stephanie A Richard
