Health care workers are strongly urged by medical officials to get vaccinated against influenza in the interest of public health.

Major healthcare employers such as New Hanover Regional Medical Center have followed suit by immunizing its employees, and suggesting that members of the public visiting the hospital system also receive vaccinations.

In a September 13 letter from the New Hanover-Pender County Medical Society, Dr. Philip M. Brown Jr., 2011 Medical Society president, and David Rice, director of the New Hanover County Health Department, said immunization is strongly urged.

The letter is directed to area doctors, dentists, childcare centers, school systems, nursing homes, rest homes, group homes, health departments, all long-term care facilities and anyone with direct person-to-person contact with a patient, student or client.

Influenza can be deadly, particularly to the very young and very old, and “especially to those whose health is already compromised by illness or frail health,” the letter stated.

Immunization against influenza should be emphasized to the point of being a condition of employment, the letter stated. Doing so is legal, said Bonnie Jeffreys Brown, medical society executive director. Brown referred to a recent statement by Dr. Jeffrey Engel, state public health director, that facilities such as nursing homes may legally mandate immunization for employees.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center administrators take seriously the responsibility to protect patients and staff from the flu virus.

The hospital system was recently presented with the Gold Award in the Flu Vaccination Challenge by Joint Commission Resources. The award recognizes NHRMC for having a flu vaccination rate among employees greater than 95 percent during the 2010-11 flu season.

This effort to vaccinate all employees resulted in nearly 7,000 fewer sick day hours used by employees between October 2010 and March 2011 when compared with the same period the previous year, said Mary Ellen Bonczek, chief nursing executive at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

“We have shown through our efforts to vaccinate all our employees that getting a flu vaccine really makes a huge impact on their quality of life,” Bonczek said.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center also extends its immunization campaign to the public. The healthcare system is asking those with flu-like symptoms to refrain from visiting the hospital until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours. Area residents are also encouraged to talk with their primary care provider about getting a flu vaccine.

The precautions will help protect visitors from spreading the flu virus, which also helps to provide a safer environment for patients, said Dr. Paul Kamitsuka, hospital epidemiologist at NHRMC.

“We always recommend that anyone with flu-like symptoms, such as a fever with sore throat, coughing, body aches, or headache, stay home and rest as much as possible,” Kamitsuka said.

“If everyone gets their flu vaccination and avoids contact with other people when they have these symptoms, we can limit the spread of the flu and hopefully have fewer people getting sick,” he said.