All Health Care Personnel Should Get Tdap Vaccine

In February 2011, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that health care personnel of all ages should receive a single dose of Tdap vaccine as soon as is feasible if they have not previously received it, regardless of the time since the last tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine dose.

The Michigan Department of Community Health, in conjunction with the Michigan Advisory Committee on Immunizations, developed this letter from Chief Medical Executive, Gregory Holzman, M.D. to increase awareness of this new Tdap recommendation and to begin or continue implementation efforts in health care facilities.

In addition, the Joint Commission published a monograph to assist health care organizations of all types (hospitals, long term care facilities, ambulatory settings, home health organizations, etc.) improve Tdap vaccination rates. The monograph is available at: http://www.jointcommission.org/tdap.

For more information on pertussis disease and vaccination, visit: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2942_4911_4914-240419--,00.html