Effectiveness of an influenza vaccine programme for care home staff to prevent death, morbidity, and health service use among residents: cluster randomised controlled trial

Objective To determine whether vaccination of care home staff against influenza indirectly protects residents. Design Pair matched cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting Large private chain of UK care homes during the winters of 2003-4 and 2004-5. Participants Nursing home staff (n = 1703) and residents (n = 2604) in 44 care homes (22 intervention homes and 22 matched control homes). Interventions Vaccination offered to staff in intervention homes but not in control homes. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was all cause mortality of residents. Secondary outcomes were influenza-like illness and health service use in residents. Results In 2003-4 vaccine coverage in full time staff was 48.2% (407/884) in intervention homes and 5.9% (51/859) in control homes. In 2004-5 uptake rates were 43.2% (365/844) and 3.5% (28/800). National influenza rates were substaritially below average in 2004-5. In the 2003-4 period of influenza activity significant decreases were found in mortality of residents in intervention homes compared with control homes (rate difference - 5.0 per 100 residents, 95% confidence interval - 7.0 to - 2.0) and in influenza-like illness (P = 0.004), consultations with general practitioners for influenza-like illness (P = 0.008), and admissions to hospital with influenza-like illness (P = 0.009). No significant differences were found in 2004-5 or during periods of no influenza activity in 2003-4. Conclusions Vaccinating care home staff against influenza can prevent deaths, health service use, and influenza-like illness in residents during periods of moderate influenza activity.