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Flu vaccine mandatory for those with patient contact
09/08/09
Flu vaccine mandatory for those with patient contact.
For the second year, NIH patient-care staff will be required to receive or formally decline the influenza vaccine. Available free of charge, the vaccine will be offered starting in October.
This year NIH may be able to offer vaccines to contractors who have contact with patients. Additional information about this new program will be available within the next month. Such contact employees will need to be vaccinated or complete a form stating their contraindication or reason for declination. Staff who fall under the requirement will be notified by e-mail.
Protecting oneself against the highly communicative virus is a testament to dedication to patient care and a recommendation of The Joint Commission. Still, many staff choose not to protect themselves and those around them, including the Clinical Center’s patients (many of whom are immunosuppressed), family, and coworkers.
NIH offers many opportunities to comply with the mandate, approved by the Medical Executive Committee in February 2008. The Traveling Flu Show will bring nurse vaccinators to CC inpatient units and outpatient clinics the week of October 5 to 16. Staff should watch for flyers publicizing the date and time of a visit to their work area.
A clinic open to all who present an NIH employee (non-contractor, unless required) badge will offer the influenza vaccine on the Hatfield Building’s seventh floor the weeks of October 19 to 23 and November 2 to 6. The clinics are organized by last name, and all employees will have two opportunities to visit the clinic. Vaccinators will also hold sessions at off-campus locations.
The influenza vaccine for the 2009-2010 season contains the following strains recommended by the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee: A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like, A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like, and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus. This vaccine will not prevent against the novel H1N1 agent that was introduced from Mexico this spring, but will prevent infection from the other seasonal strains that have been circulating. Several additional vaccines are in production that will prevent infection with the novel H1N1 agent. The novel H1N1 vaccine should become available later in the fall. As infection with influenza can be life-threatening for many of our patients, immunization with both vaccines will be required for all individuals who have contact with our patients. When this issue of CC News went to print, NIH expected to purchase a number of H1N1 vaccines, but did not know yet an amount or date of delivery. The distribution plan for the novel H1N1 vaccine is contingent on that information.
