Provincial Human Rights Codes
Condition-of-service policies must also comply with provincial human rights codes, which prohibit discrimination in employment based on disability or creed . Canadian courts have endorsed a multidimensional definition of disability, which may be real or perceived and which emphasizes human dignity, respect and the right to equality.52 Although there has been no case to date, a court might conclude that a condition-of-service vaccination policy must exempt individuals who have a medical contraindication to influenza vaccination.
With respect to creed, this is defined in Ontario as a set of sincerely held religious beliefs or practices which need not be based on the edicts of an established church or particular denomination.53 The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, which enforces The Ontario Human Rights Code, recently considered a case in which a paramedic argued that his employer discriminated against him by refusing to schedule him until he was vaccinated.50 The tribunal concluded that the employees refusal to receive the influenza vaccination was based not on creed but rather on a general objection to immunization. Although the applicant in that case did not satisfy the legal standard, it is likely that condition-of-service vaccination policies must permit exemptions that accommodate religious beliefs and practices.
Mandate To Vaccinate Employers And Required Flu Shots
ADACOVID-19 EEOCOSHAReligious DiscriminationSafetyTitle VII
This year has presented many challenges, including a global health pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes, and social justice unrest, and yet we now face a fast approaching influenza season that is sure to bring on more coughs, sneezes and hiccups. In light of the ongoing health crisis and resulting disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers may find themselves considering a mandatory flu vaccination as a way to keep their workforce healthy and productive during the fall and winter months.
Iv Vaccine Preparations Authorized For Use In Canada: Additional Information
The following sections describe information on the efficacy and effectiveness, immunogenicity, and safety of influenza vaccines that are authorized for use in Canada by type: IIV and LAIV. Refer to Appendix A for a summary of the characteristics of specific influenza vaccine products available in Canada for the 2020-2021 season.
NACI acknowledges that evidence related to influenza vaccine performance, particularly with respect to vaccine efficacy and effectiveness, is constantly evolving with advances in research methodology and accumulation of data over many influenza seasons. Therefore, the evidence summarized in this section may not include the latest studies. However, in accordance with usual practice, NACI continues to closely monitor the emerging evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness, immunogenicity, and safety of influenza vaccines to update and to make recommendations when warranted.
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Iv5 Additional Vaccine Safety Considerations
Influenza vaccine is safe and well tolerated. Contraindications, precautions, and common AEs are described in Section II. Additional information regarding egg-allergic individuals and GBS is provided below.
Egg-allergic individuals
After careful review of clinical and post-licensure safety data, NACI has concluded that egg-allergic individuals may be vaccinated against influenza using any appropriate product, including LAIV, without prior influenza vaccine skin test and with the full dose, irrespective of a past severe reaction to egg and without any particular consideration, including vaccination setting. The amount of trace ovalbumin allowed in influenza vaccines that are authorized for use in Canada is associated with a low risk of AE. The observation period post-vaccination is as recommended in Vaccine Safety in Part 2 of the CIG. As with all vaccine administration, vaccine providers should be prepared with the necessary equipment, knowledge, and skills to respond to a vaccine emergency at all times.
Refer to the Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2018-2019 for safety data supporting this recommendation for IIV and LAIV.
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Flu Vaccine Myths Or Truths
Healthcare workers are not immune to the fairly common statements below. Even though medical experts denounce these statements as myths, the perception of truth persists.
- The flu shot made me sickAfter getting a flu shot, some people may feel sick. But, medical experts say that the vaccine itself cannot produce an active infection in the body and that those who experience symptoms after being immunized were probably already coming down with an illness. In the fall, when the flu vaccine becomes available, it is also a time when many other viruses are circulating.
- I dont need the flu shot every yearJust because you have had a flu vaccine last year or in previous years, you do not now have long-lasting immunity from the flu. The seasonal flu vaccine is changed every year in order to keep up with the three strains of influenza viruses which research indicates will be most common in the upcoming season.
- I dont need to get the flu shot early The flu vaccine takes up to two full weeks to become effective, so experts warn against waiting to get the shot until you know there are flu cases in your area. Instead, they recommend that people be immunized in early October, before the flu season is in full swing.
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To Mandate Or Not To Mandate
Although promoting a safe workplace and protecting the health and wellbeing of your workforce is a noble cause, you should proceed with caution in implementing an across-the-board, mandatory flu vaccination policy. As a first step, encourage your employees to be vaccinated and provide them with the opportunity to be vaccinated at their worksite during work hours by a licensed healthcare provider. You should consult with an attorney before implementing any workplace vaccination policy to avoid missteps and ensure your policy is legally compliant.
Who Should Get Vaccinated Against Influenza
Yearly influenza vaccination is recommended for people aged 6 months and over. Anyone who wants to protect themselves against influenza can talk to their immunisation provider about getting vaccinated.
The Australian Immunisation Handbook includes more information about specific groups who should get vaccinated against influenza.
The following people are more at risk of complications from influenza and are eligible for annual influenza vaccination free under the National Immunisation Program:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and over
- Children aged 6 months to under 5 years
- Pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy
- People aged 65 years or over.
- People aged 6 months or over who have medical conditions that mean they have a higher risk of getting serious disease:
- cardiac disease
- haematological disorders
- children aged six months to 10 years on long term aspirin therapy.
Children under nine years receiving their influenza vaccination for the first time require two doses of vaccine, spaced by a minimum of one month.
In some states and territories, influenza vaccines may also be provided for free to other people not listed above. Speak to your immunisation provider or contact your state or territory Department of Health to find out.
People who are not eligible for a free vaccine can purchase the vaccine from their immunisation provider.
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Who Should And Who Should Not Get A Flu Vaccine
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get an influenza vaccine every season, with rare exceptions. For the 2021-2022 flu season, three main types of influenza vaccines will be available. Two kindsthe inactivated influenza vaccines and the recombinant influenza vaccine are injectable . The third type, the live attenuated influenza vaccine , is given by nasal spray. Different influenza vaccines are approved for different age groups. Some people should not get some types of influenza vaccines, and some people should not receive influenza vaccines at all . Everyone who is vaccinated should receive a vaccine that is appropriate for their age and health status. There is no preference for any one vaccine over another.
This page includes information on who should and who should not get an influenza vaccine, and who should talk to a health care professional before vaccination. Talk to your health care provider if you have any questions regarding which influenza vaccines are best for you and your family.
All persons aged 6 months of age and older are recommended for annual flu vaccination, with rare exception.
Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications.
People who can get the flu shot:
Flu shots are appropriate for most people.
People who SHOULD NOT get a flu shot include:
People who SHOULD NOT get a nasal spray vaccine:
Explaining The Influenza Vaccine
Although many of us use the term flu to refer to colds and other mild infections, most of these illnesses are not actually caused by the influenza, or flu virus. People infected by the flu virus usually feel very tired, have a headache and sore muscles, as well as fever. In Canada, the flu comes back each winter. A new vaccine is prepared each year to immunize people against the specific flu strains that are predicted to circulate that winter.
About one in ten Canadians gets the flu each winter. Most people just need to take a day or two off work or school to recover. However the flu can be more serious for some especially people with chronic medical problems, very young children, pregnant women and older adults. Each year in Canada, several thousand people die from the flu. Although the flu vaccine is recommended for virtually everyone, high-risk individuals are especially encouraged to get the flu vaccine.
Health care workers are also strongly encouraged to get the flu vaccine, because they work with patients who are most vulnerable to the flu. Health care workers who become ill themselves might recover quickly, but if they pass the infection on to an older adult whose immune system doesnt function as well, the patient might not be so fortunate.
High-quality research supports this assertion. A review of studies demonstrated that vaccinating health care workers against the flu reduced the the incidence of flu and death in their patients.
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Are Current Mandates Enough
While states continue to expand school vaccine requirements, they are not as comprehensiveand therefore not as protectiveas the recommended schedule issued by the CDC.
For example, while many states require meningococcal and pertussis vaccination in schools, only two require the HPV vaccine, and none require the flu vaccine. This is despite the fact that HPV and influenza kill over 11,000 and 70,000 people, respectively, every year.
This is why the CDC recommends vaccines against all four of these diseases for adolescents 11 to 12. They are each considered equally important in the eyes of the ACIP but are rarely required by schools.
That is not to say that all vaccines are equally important. If a vaccine isn’t necessary for everyone to get, the ACIP has ways of indicating that it is optional.
In 2015, the ACIP granted the meningococcal B vaccine a “provisional” recommendation, essentially leaving it up to healthcare providers to decide whether vaccination is appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
Who Sets Vaccine Recommendations
Every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publish a recommended immunization schedule for the United States. This schedule is put together by a panel of 15 experts known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices .
The ACIP panel is comprised of experts in medical and public health fields, including doctors, researchers, infectious disease specialists, and community representatives.
The schedule is intended to provide people with the maximum protection from vaccine-preventable diseases as safely as possible. The schedule is organized according to the age ranges in which the recommended vaccinations should be administered.
Currently, there are 16 vaccines recommended by the ACIP, scheduled from birth through the age of 18.
This schedule is updated every year to ensure that it is always based on the most up-to-date research. Medical professionals across the country use it to immunize their patients, and state governments follow the recommendations to determine which vaccines should be required for school.
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Iii1 People At High Risk Of Influenza
All pregnant women
NACI recommends the inclusion of all pregnant women, at any stage of pregnancy, among the particularly recommended recipients of IIV, due to the risk of influenza-associated morbidity in pregnant womenFootnote 25,Footnote 26,Footnote 27,Footnote 28,Footnote 29, evidence of adverse neonatal outcomes associated with maternal respiratory hospitalization or influenza during pregnancyFootnote 30,Footnote 31,Footnote 32,Footnote 33, evidence that vaccination of pregnant women protects their newborns from influenza and influenza-related hospitalizationFootnote 34,Footnote 35,Footnote 36,Footnote 37, and evidence that infants born during influenza season to vaccinated women are less likely to be premature, small for gestational age, and of low birth weight than if born to women that had not received an influenza vaccineFootnote 38,Footnote 39,Footnote 40,Footnote 41. The risk of influenza-related hospitalization increases with length of gestation .
Refer to the Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2011-2012 and the Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2012-2013 for further details on influenza vaccination during pregnancy.
Adults and children with chronic health conditions
Neurologic or neurodevelopment conditions
People of any age who are residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities
Adults 65 years of age and older
All children 6-59 months of age
Indigenous peoples
/28 Flu Vaccine Requirement For Students
All USC students taking in-person classes or living in university-owned residences in Fall 2021 are required to complete immunization for influenza by . Students living in off-campus residences and taking classes remotely are also strongly encouraged to get a flu vaccine.
This requirement will help mitigate the potential simultaneous impact of flu and COVID-19 during the seasonal flu timeframe in the fall/winter months. Exact timing of flu season may vary, but activity often begins to increase in October flu activity typically peaks between December and February, although activity can last as late as May.
Flu vaccines are currently available through USC Student Health for students in the campus vicinities. Students are routinely offered flu shots at all in-person visits and locations, including the COVID-19 testing areas . Students may also make appointments through the student health records portal, .
Why Take A Flu Vaccine?
Cost Flu vaccines administered through USC Student Health have no cost for SHIP/Aetna plan members the vaccine cost for students on other plans is $20 and is added to your student account. Flu vaccines are routinely a covered benefit of most insurance plans and are offered through many retailers, including USC Pharmacies. Learn more key facts from the CDC.
Exemptions Students who are unable to take a vaccine must complete an exemption form, available at .
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I1 New Or Updated Information For 2020
NACI recently reassessed the wording for the recommendation on the vaccination of health care workers and other care providers as a group for whom influenza vaccination is particularly recommended. The existing evidence on HCW influenza vaccination and the reduction of morbidity associated with influenza in patients being cared for by a HCW in health care settings was considered in the context of ethics and acceptability. NACI continues to recommend that, in the absence of contraindications, HCWs and other care providers in facilities and community settings should be vaccinated annually against influenza, and recommends the inclusion of this group among the particularly recommended recipients of influenza vaccine. NACI considers the receipt of influenza vaccination to be an essential component of the standard of care for all HCWs and other care providers for their own protection and that of their patients. This group should consider annual influenza vaccination as part of their responsibilities to provide the highest standard of care.
Recommendation on the use of LAIV in HIV-infected individuals
Ii7 Vaccine Safety And Adverse Events
Post-marketing surveillance of influenza vaccines in Canada has shown that seasonal influenza vaccines have a safe and stable profile. In addition to routine surveillance, every year during the seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns, PHAC and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Vaccine Vigilance Working Group of the Canadian Immunization Committee conduct weekly expedited surveillance of AEFIs for current influenza vaccines in order to identify vaccine safety signals in a timely manner. Refer to the Canadian Adverse Events Following Immunization Surveillance System web page for more information on post-marketing surveillance and AEFIs in Canada.
All influenza vaccines currently authorized for use in Canada are considered safe for use in people with latex allergies. The multi-dose vial formulations of inactivated influenza vaccine that are authorized for use in Canada contain minute quantities of thimerosal, which is used as a preservativeFootnote 15,Footnote 16 to keep the product sterile. Large cohort studies of administrative health databases have found no association between childhood vaccination with thimerosal-containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental outcomes, including autistic-spectrum disordersFootnote 17. All single dose formulations of IIV and LAIV are thimerosal-free. Refer to Vaccine Safety in Part 2 of the CIG for additional information.
Common adverse events
Less common and serious or severe adverse events
Other reported adverse events and conditions
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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.