Less than one in five hospital staff and one in seven long-term care centre staff in Ireland get themselves vaccinated against influenza, a new survey has revealed.

This is despite repeated recommendations from the HSE that all healthcare staff should get vaccinated against the flu.

The survey by the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) shows that in the 2012-2013 flu season, only 17.4% of hospital workers received the flu jab. This compared to an 18% uptake rate in the previous winter.

The highest uptake rate in hospital staff was among medical and dental workers, at 23.5%, while nurses had the lowest uptake nationally, at only 12.5%.

And the survey also found that healthcare workers in long-term care facilities such as public nursing homes, where elderly residents are at high risk from flu outbreaks, was only 15% in 2012-2013, a drop from 18% the previous winter.

In long-term facilities, the highest uptake was among management and admin staff, at 22.6%, while the lowest uptake was in health and social care professionals, at 11.6%.

The survey also found that 73% of residents of long-stay facilities received the flu vaccination in the 2012-2013 flu season, compared to 88% in 2011-2012.

The HPSC noted that the drop in vaccine uptake among healthcare workers and long-stay centre residents occurred against a background where considerable efforts had been made by the health authorities to highlight the importance of seasonal influenza vaccination for both staff and patients.

It said the absence of vaccination policies in long-term care centres, despite national recommendations, was also of concern.

The safety body HIQA in recent guidelines, stressed that influenza is the leading cause of death from infectious disease among elderly people, largely due to declining immune competence with age, and is a significant cause of death and hospitalisation among the elderly and frail in residential care settings.

Seven deaths at a nursing home in Buncrana, Co. Donegal in the spring of 2012 were linked to a flu outbreak there.

HIQA says there should be annual flu vaccination for residents and staff in long-term care centres and adequate recording of vaccinations.

Each year, the HSE recommends that all healthcare workers should get the flu jab.

The HPSC report says striving to achieve high uptake of the flu vaccine among healthcare workers is recognised as an important infection-controlling intervention, to reduce the risk of flu transmission between patients and workers, with the potential for severe disease in patients and staff.

It points out that in recent years, flu outbreaks in healthcare settings have occurred and the majority of these were characterised by low vaccine uptake among staff working in these units.

The report suggests strategies be considered to improve uptake, such as mobile vaccine units operating at healthcare facilities

The report says the HSE is currently conducting a survey on the challenges facing hospitals and long-term facilities in achieving high vaccine uptake rates.

Forty-five acute hospitals took part in the vaccine uptake survey, while 183 long-term facilities participated.

Find out more about the flu jab here