Vaccine-Preventable Disease Outbreaks Among Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Background. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) in healthcare workers (HCWs) can result in morbidity and mortality and cause significant disruptions to healthcare services, patients, and visitors as well as an added burden on the healthcare system. This scoping review aimed to describe the epidemiology of VPD outbreaks in HCWs caused by diseases that are prevented by the 10 vaccines recommended by the World Health Organization for HCWs. Methods. In April 2022, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Global Health, and EMBASE were searched for all articles reporting on VPD outbreaks in HCWs since the year 2000. Articles were included regardless of language and study type. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of VPD outbreaks were described. Results. Our search found 9363 articles, of which 216 met the inclusion criteria. Studies describing 6 of the 10 VPDs were found: influenza, measles, varicella, tuberculosis, pertussis, and rubella. Most articles (93%) were from high- and upper-middle-income countries. While most outbreaks occurred in hospitals, several influenza outbreaks were reported in long-term-care facilities. Based on available data, vaccination rates among HCWs were rarely reported. Conclusions. We describe several VPD outbreaks in HCWs from 2000 to April 2022. The review emphasizes the need to understand the factors influencing outbreaks in HCWs and highlights the importance of vaccination among HCWs. Show more