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

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 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 at hopkinsmedicine.org/hse/forms/fluform/exceptions.html 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 Johns Hopkins Community Physician’s office, you or someone on your behalf must submit proof of immunization online, which can be found at hopkinsmedicine.org/hse/forms/fluform/selfreporting.html, to Oc­cupational Health Services. If you do not receive the email confirming your vac­cination once entered, contact [email protected].

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 movie theater passes. 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.

For more information visit hopkins­medicine.org/hse/occupational_health/flu_campaign.html.

Lisa Maragakis, senior director of Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Prevention for the Johns Hopkins Health System, says “As a health system, we have been successful in achieving near 100 percent flu vaccination compliance rates for those covered by the 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.