Photo of Health Care ProfessionalHealthcare personnel are defined as all persons whose activities involve contact with patients or contaminated material in a healthcare, home healthcare, or clinical laboratory setting, including students, trainees and volunteers. Healthcare personnel are engaged in a range of occupations, many of which include patient contact even though they do not involve direct provision of patient care, such as dietary and housekeeping services. Pregnant healthcare personnel treating patients with suspected or known 2009 H1N1 infection should follow facility infection control policies. Current interim CDC guidance for healthcare personnel is available on the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidelines_infection_control.htm. This guidance applies uniquely to the special circumstances of the 2009-2010 influenza season and will be updated as necessary as new information becomes available throughout the course of this influenza season.

All healthcare personnel, including pregnant women, who will likely be in direct contact with patients with confirmed or suspected 2009 H1N1 flu (e.g., a nurse, physician, or respiratory therapist caring for hospitalized patients), should carefully adhere to standard precautions which includes performing hand hygiene before and after all patient contact, contact with respiratory secretions, and before putting on and upon removal of personal protective equipment (PPE). Soap and water or alcohol-based hand rubs should be used.

Standard precautions also state that for any activity that might generate splashes of respiratory secretions, gowns along with eye protection should be worn. In addition to standard precautions healthcare workers should wear a fit-tested, disposable N95 respirator when within 6 feet of the patient.

No special precautions are needed for pregnant doctors and nurses to administer the nasal spray vaccine. All healthcare personnel should wash their hands or use an alcohol-based hand rub before and after giving the vaccine.

Facilities and organizations providing healthcare services should consider offering alternative work environments as an accommodation for pregnant personnel and those at high-risk for complications during periods of increased influenza activity or if influenza severity increases.

For additional guidance for health care providers at higher risk for complications of influenza infection, please visit: Interim Guidance for Infection Control for Care of Patients with Confirmed or Suspected Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection in a Healthcare Setting.

Information on the correct use of PPE is available on the CDC website.

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