Outcomes, Approaches, and Challenges to Developing and Passing a Countywide Mandatory Vaccination Policy: St. Louis County's Experience with Hepatitis A Vaccine for Food Service Personnel.

In the early 1990s, St. Louis County had multiple foodservice worker-related hepatitis A outbreaks uncontrolled by standard outbreak interventions. Restaurant interest groups and the general public applied political pressure to local public health officials for more stringent interventions, including a mandatory vaccination policy.

A functional needs approach to emergency planning.

Objective: This study was conducted to test the ability of the St Louis County Department of Health to efficiently dispense medication to individuals with functional needs during a public health emergency and develop new guidelines for future emergency planning. Historically, people with functional needs have been vulnerable in emergency situations, and emergency planners are responsible for creating equal access for mass prophylaxis events.

Methods: Measures to create access for individuals with functional needs were tested in a countywide exercise in which 40 volunteers with functional needs walked through an open point of dispensing location to collect medication as if it were a real emergency.

Cost-effectiveness of using Quantiferon Gold (QFT-G)® versus tuberculin skin test (TST) among U.S. and foreign born populations at a public health department clinic with a low prevalence of tuberculosis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the cost benefit to routinely using QFT-G versus the standard TST for screening U.S. and foreign born populations at a public health department clinic with a low prevalence of tuberculosis.

H1N1 influenza vaccine compliance among hospital- and non-hospital-based healthcare personnel.

Background: The 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine had lower uptake compared to seasonal influenza vaccine, and most studies examining uptake of H1N1 vaccine focused on hospital-based healthcare personnel (HCP). Determinants of H1N1 vaccine uptake among HCP in all work settings need to be identified so that interventions can be developed for use in encouraging uptake of future pandemic or emerging infectious disease vaccines.

Objective: To identify factors influencing nonhospital HCP H1N1 influenza vaccine compliance.

Seasonal and H1N1 influenza vaccine compliance and intent to be vaccinated among emergency medical services personnel.

Background: Only limited data are available on emergency medical technicians' (EMT) influenza vaccination compliance.

Methods: A questionnaire was administered to St. Louis EMTs during March to June 2011 to assess compliance with the 2010/2011 and 2009/2010 seasonal and pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccinations, factors that predicted uptake of 2010/2011 seasonal influenza vaccine, and intent to be vaccinated.

Seasonal influenza vaccine compliance among hospital-based and nonhospital-based healthcare workers.

Background: Influenza vaccination among nonhospital healthcare workers (HCWs) is imperative, but only limited data are available for factors affecting their compliance.

Objective: To examine the factors influencing influenza vaccine compliance among hospital and nonhospital HCWs. Design and Setting.