August was National Immunization Awareness month and Fastaff wants to ensure our nurses are educated about the importance of vaccinations. As a nurse, you are immersed in an environment that may contain many infectious diseases that can be harmful to your health. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S National Library of Medicine, no one is at greater risk of contracting contagious diseases or of spreading them than health care workers.[1] Many hospitals require staff to be current on immunizations for their own safety and for the safety of patients, visitors, and fellow employees. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare facilities across the U.S. are increasing their requirements for their staff to be vaccinated.[2]

The laws and requirements surrounding vaccines are typically up to individual hospital discretion, but Fastaff requires a few main vaccines from all travelers:

1. Tuberculosis

2. Hepatitis B

3. Influenza (flu)

4. MMR (measles, mumps & rubella)

5. Varicella (chickenpox)

6. TDaP (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)

If a hospital requires additional vaccines beyond Fastaff’s required vaccines, you will be notified immediately. Fastaff’s compliance department updates hospital requirements regularly, so if during any point in your assignment the hospital’s requirements change, you can trust that Fastaff will inform you promptly of these changes so you can focus on providing high-quality patient care. You’ll enjoy peace of mind, knowing that you are ready to serve in urgent and crucial situations.

Protecting yourself is important not just for the month of August, but for years to come. With the many concerns you deal with as a hardworking nurse, don’t let harmful diseases be one of them.

[1] Field, Robert I. “Mandatory Vaccination of Health Care Workers: Whose Rights Should Come First?” Pharmacy and Therapeutics, MediMedia USA, Inc., Nov. 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2810172/.

[2] “Immunization Schedules.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Nov. 2014, www2a.cdc.gov/vaccines/statevaccsApp/AdministrationbyVaccine.asp?Vaccinetmp=Influenza.