Influenza: The Academy of Medicine is pushing for mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers

This time, the National Academy of Medicine is not simply reiterating the recommendation; it wants to make it mandatory: the institution recommends seasonal flu vaccination for all healthcare workers. The findings are stark: only 20% of healthcare professionals are vaccinated, despite annual campaigns and free doses. The authors argue that "the effectiveness of the vaccines is well-established" and point to a disproportionately low level of adherence to this standard preventative measure in hospitals and nursing homes alike.

In the service sector, the virus does not require a professional card.

In the corridors, the flu spreads quickly and sometimes silently. Christine Rouzioux, professor of virology and rapporteur for the text, reminds us that healthcare workers are "particularly exposed" and can transmit the virus "involuntarily," as the flu can be asymptomatic. The Academy emphasizes the responsibility towards vulnerable patients—the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and infants—and adopts a striking statement: "To refuse vaccination for healthcare workers is to deny their medical responsibilities." Ultimately, the goal is to reduce hospital-acquired infections and prevent already strained services from operating with reduced staff at the worst possible time of winter.

The argument, for its part, is also financially sound. According to Christine Rouzioux, the flu costs between 1 and 2 billion euros each year (consultations, hospitalizations, intensive care, mortality, lost productivity), while vaccinating nearly 2 million healthcare professionals would represent 20 to 30 million euros. The last epidemic left its mark, with nearly 1,2 million consultations, 115.000 emergency room visits, 24.000 hospitalizations, and 12.700 deaths. The challenge now is to translate this report into law: the Social Security financing law provides for this possibility, subject to an opinion from the High Authority for Health expected at the beginning of the summer, and it is here that the public's acceptance on the ground, balancing individual liberties with the imperative of protection, will be determined in the coming months.