Is A Flu Shot Mandatory

Can A Flu Shot Wear Off If You Get It Too Early Perhaps Scientists Say

Should students be required to get a flu shot?

But the methodology of the studies produced results that dont stand up to scrutiny, the authors of the new paper said.

None of the studies were conducted in hospitals all took place in long-term care facilities. One the studies, from Britain, calculated that one influenza death would be averted for every eight staff members vaccinated.

But if that were correct, vaccinating the estimated 1.7 million health care workers employed in long-term care in the United States should prevent 212,500 flu deaths a year among residents. Theres an obvious problem though, the paper noted. Nowhere near that many people die from flu in the US.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are between 3,000 and 49,000 flu deaths a year in this country, including people of all ages. The death toll varies depending on which strain of flu is causing the most illness and how well-matched the strains in the vaccine are to the viruses making people sick.

If the calculation is applied to the 5.5 million hospital workers, mandatory flu shots should avert 687,500 deaths each year more than the number of Americans who died in the 1918 Spanish flu, estimated to be 675,000. The Spanish flu was the worst influenza pandemic in known history.

Do we have scientific data supporting that? I think the bottom line of our paper is to say there is no valid scientific evidence, even now, underpinning enforced health care worker immunizations, De Serres told STAT.

Not flu deaths. All deaths.

Flu Vaccination Requirement For Ay 2021

Update 11-29-2021

The University of California Office of the President has issued an Executive Order mandating Flu vaccinations for the AY 2021-22 flu season. This policy pertains to all students who are living, learning and/or working on campus and/or on the premises of any University facilty. For additional information, please visit the UCOP website here. FAQ’s can be found here: Student FAQ’s. Flu vaccinations are not available at Student Health Center for faculty and non-SHC staff.

STUDENT HEALTH PARTNERING WITH UCI HEALTH AND UCI COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES TO INCREASE ACCESS TO FLU VACCINATIONS ON CAMPUS!!

To increase access to flu vaccination appointments, SHC, UCI Health and the College of Health Sciences have partnered to provide additional flu vaccination clinics on campus. Starting Monday, 11-29-2021 and through the remainder of the flu season, flu vaccination clinics will be held at Student Center Crescent Bay Rooms and ACC Plaza Verde. Note that the flu clinics at the above locations are “by appointment only”. To schedule an appointment, login to the Student Health Patient Portal. The flu clinics at the testing sites will be closed between 12-16-2021 and 1-2-2022.

In addition, “walk-in/pop-up” flu clinics are being planned at various locations on campus through the remainder of the flu season. The next “walk-in/pop-up” clinics are tentatively scheduled for the week of January 17th. Visit SHC’s website and UCIForward website regularly for updates.

Do Children Adults Pregnant Women And The Elderly Need A Different Vaccine

Generally, children, adults and pregnant women get the same vaccine to protect them against the flu. However, if your child is under 9 years old and has not been vaccinated before, they will need to get 2 doses of the vaccine, at least 4 weeks apart, in their first year.

In 2018, 2 new flu vaccines became available for people aged 65 years and over. These vaccines are not available for people younger than 65.

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Im Pregnant Is It Safe To Get The Flu Shot

Yes, the flu shot is safe. Those who are pregnant should be immunized. Infants born during flu season to mothers who got a flu shot are usually protected against the flu for a few months. The flu shot is also safe and highly recommended for those breastfeeding. Since infants less than 6 months of age cannot get the flu shot , antibodies against the flu are transferred through breast milk.

Can My Child Get The Flu Vaccine At The Same Time As Another Childhood Vaccine Including The Covid

hr question requiring mandatory flu shots ust scaled

Yes. It is safe to get the seasonal flu vaccine at the same time as any childhood vaccine, including the COVID-19 vaccine. Many children are behind with their childhood vaccines or boosters because of the COVID-19 pandemic and getting the vaccines at the same time can help them catch up more quickly.

For children 5 to 11 years old, it may be best to wait at least 14 days between the COVID-19 and other vaccines. The reason for this is that if any side effects happen, doctors will know which vaccine they are related to. But only space out vaccines if you are sure that no other vaccines your child needs will be given late.

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Still Getting The Flu

Sometimes you can get the flu shot and still come down with the flu. It takes around 2 weeks after receiving the vaccination for your body to develop immunity. During this time, you can still get catch the flu.

Another reason why you can still catch the flu is if there wasnt a good vaccine match. Researchers need to decide which strains to include in the vaccine many months before flu season actually starts.

When theres not a good match between the selected strains and the strains that actually end up circulating during flu season, the vaccine isnt as effective.

When To Get The Influenza Vaccine

New season influenza vaccines under the NIP are expected to be available from April. Timing may be different for your local area. Check with your immunisation provider to find out when they will have the vaccine available and when you will be able to book in to have the vaccine.

Annual influenza vaccine should occur anytime from April onwards to be protected for the peak flu season, which is generally June to September. The highest level of protection occurs in the first 3 to 4 months following vaccination.

However, it is never too late to vaccinate since influenza can circulate in the community all year round.

Pregnant women should receive the vaccine at any stage during pregnancy.

Influenza vaccines can be given on the same day with a COVID-19 vaccine.

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Q17 Is November 1 A Firm Deadline For When Faculty Other Academic Appointees And Staff Must Document Theyve Received A Flu Vaccination Or An Approved Exemption Or Accommodation

A17. This is a firm documentation deadline for students, faculty, other academic appointees, and staff who are currently living, learning, or working at a UC location. Individuals who do not document that they have received the 2020-2021 flu vaccine or have an approved exemption or accommodation will not have access to University facilities effective November 16, 2020. If you are currently remote but are later required or wish to access UC premises during the 2020-2021 flu season, you must first certify you have received the flu vaccine or an exemption or accommodation . Even if you continue to work or study remotely, everyone is encouraged to obtain the 2020-2021 vaccine consistent with CDC guidance and CDPH guidance, as well as recommendations from the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Where Can I Learn More

Flu shot no longer mandatory for B.C. nurses

More information on the inactivated influenza vaccine, including possible reactions and who should not get the vaccine, can be found in the HealthLinkBC File: Inactivated Influenza Vaccine.

For answers to frequently asked questions about influenza vaccines, visit our FAQ about influenza vaccines page.

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Q5 How Will Faculty Other Academic Appointees And Staff Provide Proof That They Have Received Their Flu Shot

A5. All locations will be asked to adjust their symptom screening apps on or before November 1 to ask employees to certify they have received the 2020-2021 flu vaccine, have an approved exemption or accommodation, or have a pending request for an exemption or accommodation. Individual locations may adopt alternative local procedures.

Injection Vs Nasal Spray Vaccine

The influenza vaccine can be delivered as either an injection or as a nasal spray.

The flu shot can come in a variety of forms that protect against three or four influenza strains. Although no type of flu shot is recommended over others, you should speak to your doctor about which one is best for you.

The nasal spray contains a small dose of a live, but weakened form of the influenza virus.

The nasal spray

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What Little Guidance There Is

The EEOC has offered little in the way of official guidance on this subject, but it did address mandatory flu vaccine policies in its Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act fact sheet it issued a few years ago.In the Q& A section of the fact sheet, the agency addresses the following query:

May an employer covered by the ADA and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 compel all of its employees to take the influenza vaccine regardless of their medical conditions or their religious beliefs during a pandemic?

The answer:

No. An employee may be entitled to an exemption from a mandatory vaccination requirement based on an ADA disability that prevents him from taking the influenza vaccine. This would be a reasonable accommodation barring undue hardship . Similarly, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, once an employer receives notice that an employees sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance prevents him from taking the influenza vaccine, the employer must provide a reasonable accommodation unless it would pose an undue hardship as defined by Title VII .

The EEOC then goes on to suggest that rather than implementing a mandatory vaccination policy, employers should instead simply encourage employees to get vaccinated.

Q6 Are There Any Exemptions From The Universal Mandate

NYC to decide on flu vaccine mandate for preschoolers

A6. Yes. Employees may request a medical exemption by having their health care provider complete the Medical Exemption Request Form attached to the executive order, and then submitting the form to the designated campus official. If an employee is requesting a medical exemption or any other accommodation due to a disability, the employee should contact their local disability management office . Requests for religious accommodations will be handled through the interactive process consistent with local policies and procedures. Due to the severe risks posed by the confluence of influenza and COVID-19 this year, no other exceptions apply. However, if for any reason you believe you should receive an exception to the vaccination requirement, please contact your supervisor to be referred to the appropriate office to discuss whether you may be eligible.

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Ethical Duty Or Obligation

When accepting patients into their care, HCWs take a special professional fiduciary responsibility for their well-being, and that responsibility obligates us to follow all reasonable, evidence-based, best practices to ensure patients safety . When a person chooses to work in healthcare, that person makes an autonomous choice to work in a service profession that serves the interests of vulnerable patients . Certain obligations come with such choices. One is the obligation to take basic precautions to protect vulnerable patients against infections. It is not controversial that it is mandatory to wash hands or receive the hepatitis B vaccine. It must be uncontroversial that the simple, safe precaution of flu vaccination is also appropriate . The vaccination would protect both the employee and the patients. If a health professional is not willing to take it, he or she will fail in his or her duty to patients . Moreover, if an employee is unwilling to trust a medical intervention that is also supported by research, how can he trust the rest of the medical science that she apparently offers? .

Workplace Flu Vaccination Requirements And The Ada

From the desk of Tracie DeFreitas, M.S., Principal Consultant ADA Specialist

Its that stuffy head, fever, sore throat, coughing, body aching, kind of season flu season. While the influenza virus is active all year-round, October trends as the month that marks an impending flu season. With a barrage of public service reminders to get vaccinated, many people are in the midst of deciding whether to get the shot, or not. The Centers for Disease Control recommends annual vaccination as the best way to protect against the flu, but sometimes people either choose not to be vaccinated, for personal or religious reasons, or cannot be vaccinated for health-related reasons. As it pertains to health-related reasons, according to the CDC, people with severe, life-threatening allergies to flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine , people who have had Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and people who are not feeling well, should not be vaccinated for the flu. Also, those who are pregnant, have experienced a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine in the past, and some people with certain medical impairments cannot receive the live attenuated nasal spray flu vaccine.

When immunization for the flu is not recommended, due to health-related reasons, it may be necessary to approve alternative infection control practices as a form of accommodation, if effective and reasonable. Accommodations will vary, but possible solutions might include:

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How Safe Is The Flu Vaccine

The influenza vaccine is very safe. It cannot cause the flu. Side effects are usually mild and can include:

mild soreness where the needle went into the arm for 1 to 2 days.
a mild fever or aches for the first day or 2 after immunization.

Do not give your child ibuprofen or acetaminophen before or around the time of vaccination as it does not prevent the pain of injection and it could have an impact on how well the vaccine works. These medications can be used to treat fever, pain, or other bothersome side effects if they develop after vaccination.

Mandated Flu Vaccines May Be New Norm In Health Care

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Mandated influenza vaccinations for employees of health care facilities are improving safety for vulnerable patients. Properly implementing such rules is the key to a successful outcome.

Hospitals and health care systems now often mandate influenza vaccinations for their employees that may apply to everyone in the system, from janitors to chief executive officers. And the mandates matter.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that vaccination coverage among health care personnel during the 2014-2015 season was 44.0% in settings where vaccine was not offered, promoted, or required and 73.6% or 83.9%, respectively, when vaccine was offered free on site for 1 day or multiple days. When vaccination was mandated, the rate was 96.0%.

There are no direct data, but there are some indications that clearly show a trend toward more and more hospitals and health systems adopting policies that mandate their employees be immunized yearly against influenza, said Paul Carson, MD, FACP, director of infection control and prevention at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, N.D.

Based upon self-reporting to the Immunization Action Coalition, it is probably safe to assume that, at a minimum, somewhere around 10% of hospitals have adopted these policies, and likely it is much higher than that, he said.

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Can You Make Flu Vaccinations Mandatory

As fears of coming down with a new, exotic strain of the flu increase, a lot of employers are asking the question: Can we require employees to get a flu shot? Heres the answer. Generally, yes. Employers can make getting vaccinated for the flu mandatory.But be careful. Any mandatory flu policy has to be flexible enough to allow for two major exceptions:

Some employees have to be able to opt out for medical reasons, and
Some employees have to be able to opt out for religious reasons.

And its best to let employees know this up front, so they know these exceptions exist and that your policy contains some legally required flexibility.When an employee states a medical- or religious-based reason for not wanting to comply with a mandatory flu shot policy, you have to be willing to enter the interactive process to see if theres reasonable accommodation you can provide for that employee.That accommodation may include:

Exempting the employee from the policy
Allowing the person to wear a mask when around other people, and/or
Transferring the person to another area where he/she wont be near as many people.

And remember, when it comes to religious accommodations, the EEOC says you must be willing to seek accommodations for any sincerely held religious belief.Translation: Tread carefully when it comes to calling individuals beliefs into question. You have to reach a pretty high bar to prove an employees religious belief isnt sincerely held.

Sometimes I Get The Flu Despite Having Had The Flu Shot Why Should I Bother

Flu vaccination prevents illness in up to 6 in 10 healthy adults under the age of 65. Because the vaccine is not effective in absolutely every case, some people may still catch the virus after having the flu shot. But the risk of illness is still reduced.

Although most people who get the flu recover without lasting effects, the flu can be very serious in some people and may require hospitalisation. In some cases, it can even be fatal. Its not possible to predict who will be severely affected.

Vaccination against the flu both reduces your chances of getting it and the severity of the symptoms if you do. So its still important to have the shot.

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