What You Need to Know About the 2017-2018 JHM Influenza Vaccination Policy

To faculty, staff, residents, postdoctoral fellows and medical students of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation

Dear Colleagues,

Fall is here and it won't be long before the flu season is upon us. The Occupational Health Services team will administer free flu vaccinations from Monday, Oct. 2, through Friday, Oct. 27, at various locations on the East Baltimore medical campus, including the Phipps Houck Lobby, Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center (JHOC) and Blalock. For your health and safety, and for the health and safety of our patients, visitors, colleagues and family members, please make it a priority to get your flu vaccination as early as possible.

Deadlines

The Johns Hopkins Medicine Influenza Vaccination Policy requires that Johns Hopkins faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, medical residents and medical students of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who provide patient care, work in a hospital building, or whose primary work location is in a patient or clinical care area receive the influenza vaccine before Tuesday, Dec. 5.

Those who have a valid medical or religious reason not to get a flu shot this year must request an exception by completing the appropriate form by Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Consequences

If you are covered by the mandatory vaccination policy and do not comply prior to the deadline, you will be subject to consequences, up to and including termination or loss of medical privileges.

Tdap

Occupational Health Services will also offer Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccinations free of charge at Phipps Houck Lobby, JHOC and Blalock during the same dates and times of the flu vaccination clinics. Vaccines can also be obtained at Occupational Health Services sites Monday through Friday at 98 N. Broadway, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at Blalock 144, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Alternate Vaccination Locations

As an additional option, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System Corporation and Johns Hopkins University personnel may obtain the flu vaccine free of charge at more than 41 designated Walgreens pharmacies during the pharmacies' business hours, which may include weekends and evenings. Just show your Johns Hopkins ID badge and complete the consent form in order to receive your vaccination and bright green badge clip. Walgreens staff will submit documentation of your vaccination to Occupational Health Services. Vaccination at Walgreens locations is not currently offered to volunteers, students, vendors or employees' spouses or partners.

Documentation

If you receive your flu vaccination at one of our Occupational Health Services-administered sites or at a designated Walgreens location, you will receive an email confirming your vaccination. If you receive the flu vaccination elsewhere, such as a Walgreens pharmacy that is not listed, another retailer or your doctors' office, even if it is a Johns Hopkins Community Physician's office, you or someone on your behalf must submit proof of immunization online to Occupational Health Services. If you do not receive the email confirming your vaccination once entered, contact hseinfo@jhmi.edu.

Please be aware that again this year, FluMist, the live-virus nasal spray vaccine, will not be offered due to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory. Therefore, we will not accept FluMist as evidence that you have complied with the Johns Hopkins Medicine influenza vaccination policy.

Raffle

As an incentive to get your flu vaccination early, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System Corporation and School of Medicine personnel who submit documentation of their influenza vaccination before Oct. 13 will have their names entered into a raffle for a movie theater gift card. Those submitting documentation before Oct. 27 will be entered to win an Amazon Echo Dot, and those submitting documentation before Nov. 10 will be entered to win a Fire Tablet. The earlier you get vaccinated, the more chances you have to win.

You can find all the dates, locations and times you can get a flu shot and all the other details about the flu vaccination program at hopkinsmedicine.org/hse/occupational_health/flu_campaign.html. Please contact your department's flu coordinator if you have questions.

As a health system, we have been successful in achieving near 100 percent flu vaccination compliance rates for those covered by vaccination policy, and we encourage all members of the JHM community to protect themselves and those around them by getting a free flu shot. Please help us continue this achievement and our commitment to influenza prevention and patient safety.

Thank you,

Lisa L. Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H.
Senior Director of Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Prevention
Johns Hopkins Health System
Chair, Johns Hopkins Medicine Vaccination and Influenza Prevention Steering Committee