Oregon Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination Rates Plummet
Less than half of Oregon’s healthcare workforce received a flu shot during the 2024-25 respiratory virus season, raising concerns about increased risk to vulnerable patients and potential strain on healthcare facilities.
New data from the Oregon Health Authority reveals that just 54% of the state’s 150,000 healthcare workers reported receiving a flu vaccination. This marks an 11-percentage point decrease from the previous season and a significant 36-point drop since the 2019-2020 season. The data is collected annually from hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, dialysis clinics, psychiatric facilities, and skilled nursing homes. Lower vaccination rates can contribute to staffing shortages during peak illness periods, impacting patient care across the state.
Vaccination rates varied by facility type, with outpatient surgery centers reporting the highest rate at 61%, followed by hospitals at 60%. Dialysis centers reported a 50% rate, while skilled nursing facilities and inpatient psychiatric facilities lagged behind at 30% each. “This is very worrying,” said Dr. Dat Tran, medical director of the state program that tracks and prevents healthcare-associated infections. “We are not seeing flu vaccination rates among health care workers keeping pace with flu activity during respiratory virus seasons.” He emphasized the importance of vaccination not only for patient protection but also for worker health and productivity; you can learn more about flu prevention for healthcare workers from the CDC.
State officials are encouraging healthcare facilities to offer convenient vaccination options, meticulously track employee records, and require declination forms for those who opt out of vaccination. Oregon’s overall adult flu vaccination rate has also declined in recent years, falling from 36.5% five years ago to 31% during the most recent season, according to the Oregon Health Authority’s influenza page. Dr. Tran stated that healthcare workers should “step up and get vaccinated” to protect patients and prevent potentially catastrophic outbreaks.
The state continues to monitor vaccination progress, even as national health targets have shifted away from specific flu-shot benchmarks for healthcare workers.
