Influenza Vaccination                                    Frequently Asked Questions

• Get your flu vaccine or request an exception by the deadline
• Submit proof of vaccination, if needed
• Check your status in myOccHealth

The annual flu vaccine is required for individuals covered under the Johns Hopkins Medicine Influenza Vaccination Policy and the Johns Hopkins University Influenza Vaccination Policy.

This includes:

• JHHS employees
• JHU faculty, staff, trainees, and students
• Volunteers, contractors, and vendors
• Other covered temporary workers, trainees, and students

Activity	Deadline
Exception Request Deadline	October 30, 2026
Vaccination Compliance Deadline	November 20, 2026

Submit exception requests by October 30, 2026 to allow time for review before the vaccination deadline.

The flu season typically runs from Oct. 15 through May 15. Infection Prevention may change these dates based on local respiratory virus activity in the community.

Before you begin, review the myOccHealth How-to Guides for step-by-step instructions.

Submit flu vaccination documentation:

• Go to myOccHealth and select Login with SSO if you have a JHED ID.
• For non-employed staff with an active JHED ID who cannot log in through SSO, please select the Guest Login, as you may not have an Occupational Health record.
• Select Guest Login if you do not have a JHED ID, such as a volunteer or non-employee.

If you have issues logging into myOccHealth, please Report a Problem - Johns Hopkins Service Automation or call 410-955-HELP (4357).

You can also use myOccHealth to:

• Request a medical or religious exception
• Request a Walgreens flu voucher, if eligible
• Check your flu compliance status
• View your Occupational Health immunization records

You can get your flu shot at:

• At a Johns Hopkins onsite flu clinic
• At a local Occupational Health clinic
• From a Flu Champion (where available)
• Walgreens flu voucher (employees only; download from myOccHealth)
• Your healthcare provider
• At a community flu clinic

No. There is no cost when a person with a valid Johns Hopkins ID receives a flu shot:

• At a Johns Hopkins onsite flu clinic
• At a Johns Hopkins Occupational Health clinic
• From a Flu Champion
• At a Walgreens Pharmacy using an employee flu voucher

Copays or other fees may apply if you receive your flu shot from your personal healthcare provider, even if they are associated with Johns Hopkins Medicine, or at a local pharmacy using your insurance.

Appointments are encouraged and may reduce your wait time, but walk-ins are welcome at Johns Hopkins onsite flu clinics.

Schedule your appointment at a Johns Hopkins onsite flu clinic.

Please bring:

• Your Johns Hopkins ID badge (for Johns Hopkins onsite clinics)
• Your registration confirmation, if applicable
• Your Walgreens flu voucher if you are an employee receiving your vaccine at Walgreens (accessible through myOccHealth)

Wear clothing that allows easy access to your upper arm.

No. Johns Hopkins onsite flu clinics are only for individuals with a valid Johns Hopkins ID.

Your vaccination record will be sent automatically to myOccHealth, if you receive your flu shot:

• At a Johns Hopkins onsite flu clinic
• At an Occupational Health clinic
• From a Flu Champion

If you receive your vaccine from a healthcare provider, at a Walgreen pharmacy using a flu voucher or at another pharmacy, you must submit your documentation through myOccHealth.

Review how to submit your flu documentation, go to myOccHealth, and follow the steps to upload your flu vaccination documentation.

Your documentation must include:

• Your name
• Your date of birth
• The Vaccine you received
• The date you received it
• The name of your healthcare provider, clinic, or pharmacy

Submit your documentation through myOccHealth by November 20, 2026.

You will receive:

• An email confirming your submission
• A second email after Occupational Health reviews your documentation

You can also check your status at any time by logging into myOccHealth and selecting My Dashboards.

Most submissions are reviewed within 48 hours. Reviews may take longer during busy vaccination periods.

If required information is missing, Occupational Health will be unable to verify your vaccination. You will receive an email explaining what is needed. You can then submit updated documentation through myOccHealth.

If you cannot receive the flu vaccine, you may request a:.

Medical Exceptions - Review the How-to Guide to Medical Exception and submit a request in myOccHealth.

Religious Exceptions - Review the How-to Guide to Religious Exception and submit a request in myOccHealth.

Acceptable documentation may include:

• A letter from your treating healthcare provider stating that you are allergic to the flu vaccine
• A medical record showing a documented flu vaccine allergy
• Documentation of a recognized contraindication, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome within six weeks of a previous flu vaccine

Documentation that does not identify the specific allergy or contraindication cannot be accepted. Documentation from a colleague, peer, or family member will not be accepted.

Medical exception requests are reviewed by an Occupational Health Nurse Practitioner.

Religious requests are reviewed by:

• The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) for Johns Hopkins University
• Organizational Equity (OE) for Johns Hopkins Health System

Permanent exceptions usually carry over to the next flu season unless they are reviewed or updated.

Temporary exceptions expire and must be, renewed if they are still needed. Log in to myOccHealth to check your current exception and compliance status.

Log into myOccHealth and click on My Dashboards to view your status for the current flu season.

If you do not receive the flu vaccine or have an approved exception by the deadline, you may be subject to corrective action under the applicable Johns Hopkins policy.

The Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (SOM) follow the Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) Johns Hopkins Medicine Influenza Vaccination Policy

Johns Hopkins University (JHU), with the exception of the School of Medicine (SOM) follow the Johns Hopkins University Influenza Vaccination Policy

Yes. If you have an approved medical or religious exception, you must follow the masking requirements in the applicable policy and Infection Control guidance, as allowed by state and local laws.

No. A flu shot cannot give you the flu.

Yes. Flu vaccination is recommended during pregnancy and helps protect both the pregnant person and the baby.

People with a mild illness can usually still receive a flu vaccine. If you are moderately or severely ill, or if you have questions, talk with your healthcare provider before getting vaccinated.

Common side effects include:

• Soreness where the vaccine was given
• Tiredness
• Muscle aches
• A low fever

These side effects are usually mild and go away within a few days.

Yes. The flu vaccine is updated each flu season (typically from August to May) to protect against flu viruses expected to spread that season.

You must receive the current season's vaccine to meet the annual Johns Hopkins requirement, even if you received the previous season's vaccine earlier in the calendar year.

FluMist is accepted only when administered by a licensed healthcare professional. Self-administered FluMist does not meet the JHM or JHU flu vaccination requirements.