Frequently Asked Questions

Overview
The Importance of Being Vaccinated
Medical Exceptions and Religious Accommodations
Compliance
Support for Mandatory Flu Vaccination
More Information

Overview

Why are we mandating the flu vaccine?
Each year, about 36,000 people die from the flu. These deaths can be prevented. Requiring that our physicians and staff who enter clinical areas receive an annual flu vaccine protects our patients, visitors, colleagues and families. Making the flu vaccine mandatory is a step that has already been taken by many of the health care systems in Maryland and in many hospitals throughout the nation.

Does this policy apply to me?
Each Johns Hopkins Medicine member organization has adopted its own policy supporting this important institution-wide effort to protect our patients. Please choose your employer (listed below) and read the policy to learn more.

When does the policy go into effect?
Across most of Johns Hopkins Medicine, this policy will be enforced during the 2012-2013 flu season, except for Suburban Hospital, which began to enforce the mandatory flu vaccination policy during the 2011-2012 flu season.

How effective are flu vaccines, especially since virus strains keep changing?
The vaccine is very effective (up to 90 percent) in preventing the flu in healthy adults. Even if you get the flu from a strain of the virus that wasn’t included in the vaccine, having the vaccine can make your illness milder.

How much egg does the vaccine contain?
The flu shot has trace amounts of egg protein in it because of the way it is made. The amount of egg protein is so small that even some people with an egg allergy can receive the vaccine.

Is it legal to make flu vaccination mandatory?
Yes. Fifteen states require that health care workers get the vaccine in certain circumstances. And other health care systems in our area have already made it mandatory—MedStar Health, Greater Baltimore Medical Center and our own Suburban Hospital. If you are an employee with a concern, contact Human Resources; students should contact the Office of Student Affairs. If necessary, Human Resources or the Office of Student Affairs will consult with Legal for guidance particular to the respective organization.

The Importance of Being Vaccinated

I don’t work with patients all day, every day. Why should I be vaccinated?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the vaccine for all persons over the age of six months, especially health care workers. You might be exposed to the flu virus, even though you are not directly involved in patient care, and then you could give the flu to others.

I’m very healthy and never get the flu. Why should I get the influenza vaccine?
Working in a health care environment increases your risk of getting the flu. You may become infected and experience only mild symptoms, but you can still pass the flu to patients, colleagues and members of your family.

I’m very familiar with the symptoms of the flu, and I stay home when I am sick. So there is very little chance that I would infect my co-workers or patients. Why should I get the vaccine?
The signs and symptoms of the flu may not appear for a day or two after you get the flu, during which time you could unknowingly infect patients and co-workers.

When should I be vaccinated?
When the flu season is about to begin, you should get the vaccine as soon as possible. It takes about two weeks to develop protection after receiving the shot. Each year, the Johns Hopkins Health System Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Control (HEIC) program establishes vaccination requirements and will tell you when flu season starts. Check with your organization’s Occupational Health Services for more information.

If I get the seasonal flu vaccine in the fall, will I still be protected if the flu season continues into March or April?
Yes. Protection from the particular strains included in the vaccine will last for the length of the flu season and sometimes longer.

Will the seasonal flu vaccine protect me against the H1N1 flu as well?
Yes, the 2011-2012 flu vaccine targeted the H1N1 flu strain that circulated last winter, and this year's vaccine is expected to protect against multiple flu strains as well.

What if I get vaccinated on my own through my doctor’s office or another location other than a Johns Hopkins medical facility?
That is fine. If you get the vaccine elsewhere, please provide a note or other documentation to Occupational Health Services by Dec. 1.

Is it true that that you can get the flu from the flu vaccine?
No, you cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine. The flu viruses in the vaccine are either killed (as is the case with the shot) or weakened (as is the case with the nasal spray) so that they cannot cause the flu.

What is the nasal spray vaccine, and are there individuals who should not receive it?
The flu vaccine can be given as a nasal spray. It is not recommended for immune-suppressed patients; patients with chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary (like asthma), or metabolic diseases (like diabetes or renal insufficiency); pregnant women; and household members with close contact with severely immunocompromised persons (like acute leukemia patients).

Will the flu vaccine make me feel ill?
After you get the vaccine, you can have soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given, low-grade fever and aches. If these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and usually last one to two days. The nasal spray vaccine given through the nose may cause side effects, such as runny nose, headache, sore throat or cough. Almost all people who receive the flu vaccine have no serious problems from it. Any employee who may believe he or she is experiencing any adverse effects related to the vaccination should report them to Occupational Health Services.

I am pregnant. Should I get the flu vaccine?
Pregnant women should receive the flu shot because they are more likely to have serious complications if they get the flu. If you're pregnant, once you get the flu shot, your body will start producing antibodies that will help protect you against the flu, and this protection can be passed to your unborn baby. According to the CDC, you can receive the flu shot at any time, during any trimester, while you are pregnant.

Please note that pregnant women should receive the injectable vaccine and not the nasal spray.

Medical Exceptions and Religious Accommodations

Does the policy allow for medical exceptions or religious accommodations?
Yes, please refer to your employer’s policy listed below.

Compliance

What happens if I don’t want to get the vaccine?
Please refer to your employer’s policy listed below for information about compliance.

The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System Corporation, and The Johns Hopkins University (joint policy)
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
Howard County General Hospital
Sibley Memorial Hospital
Suburban Hospital
Johns Hopkins Community Physicians
Johns Hopkins Health Care
Johns Hopkins Home Care Group

Why can’t I just wear a mask?
The influenza vaccine is the best way to prevent influenza transmission. While wearing a mask helps to limit exposure to the influenza virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that “no studies have definitively shown that mask use by either infectious patients or health-care personnel prevents influenza transmission.”

Support for Mandatory Flu Vaccination

What other institutions/health systems have mandated influenza vaccination among health care personnel?
• MedStar (Baltimore and elsewhere)
• GBMC (Baltimore)
• University of Maryland (Baltimore)
• All Montgomery County, Maryland hospitals
• Harford County Health Department (Bel Air)
• New York-Presbyterian Hospital
• University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• Barnes Jewish Christian Hospital-Washington University, St. Louis, MO
• Baptist Hospital-Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC
• Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, GA
• Creighton University, Omaha, NE
• University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, Iowa City, IA
• Loyola University Hospital, Chicago, IL
• Virginia Mason Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle, WA
• Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) hospitals
• Most hospitals in the state of Michigan including University of Michigan and Michigan State
• Many others

What professional associations support mandated influenza vaccination among Health Care Personnel?
• American Academy of Family Physicians
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American College of Physicians
• American Hospital Association
• American Medical Directors Association
• American Pharmacists Association
• American Public Health Association
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases Society of America
• National Business Group on Health
• National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
• National Patient Safety Foundation
• Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America

More Information

Whom can I talk to if I have questions about the policy?
Ask your local human resources or occupational health services department for more information.

Where can I get more information about the flu vaccine?
You can find additional information on the flu vaccine at www.cdc.gov/flu.