Hello Kymberly,

Compliance with our policy is mandatory and must be completed by Dec 31^st of each year.  Those who are not compliant by Dec 31^st get a temporary suspension with a 3 day window in which to become compliant.  If still non-compliant after the 3 day window, they are terminated.

Policy requirement is to:

·         Receive annual influenza vaccination; or

·         Engage in a vaccine declination process that includes completing an on-line learning module, having a face to face discussion with an occupational health nurse, and then signing a declination if still opposed to vaccination.

The policy has been in place 4 years and the declination rate has steadily declined to roughly 2% of the healthcare worker population.  The organization has steadily emphasized the importance of influenza vaccination and provides frequent educational materials/reminders via our social media outlets.  We use our internal occupational health service to vaccinate our staff, our ambulatory clinic patients, their siblings, and adult house-hold contacts.  This amounts to over 10,000 individuals vaccinated annually and helps us achieve our goal of cocooning our most vulnerable patients from influenza.  Our eligible in-patients are vaccinated by the unit nurses.  This approach has helped make vaccination a community obligation rather than just a healthcare worker obligation. 

 

Reasons for declining include valid medical contraindications, a few religious type objections, and occasionally the objection due to vaccine efficacy concerns and belief that vaccination is not needed.

 

Good luck with your work.

Noreen

 

Noreen Olson, RN, MN, HEM, COHN-S, ARM

Compliance Coordinator, Occupational Health Services

Seattle Children’s Hospital – Foundation - Research

noreen.olson@seattlechildrens.org

 

206-987-3391 Office

206-985-3159 Fax

 

OFFICE   4300 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105   

MAIL      M/S RC-411, PO Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98145-5005

WWW     seattlechildrens.org

 

 

Good afternoon,

 

WVUH is revisiting the topic of mandatory flu vaccinations.  Currently, we do not have a mandatory requirement, but are considering doing so.  Therefore, we are hoping to gather any information that may be helpful.

 

Does your organization require mandatory Flu Vaccinations?

 

·         If yes, what was/is the reasoning/justification for doing so?

·         When/How long have you had a mandatory requirement?

·         How do you handle employees who refuse the vaccination without proper medical validation to not receive?

·         What pushback/challenges have you received and how did you handle them?