Laura L Radke, MD

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine

Senior Medical Director, F&MCW Occupational Health Services

Phone: 262-253-8197 | Fax: 262-253-5152 Cell Phone: 414-530-0723

E-mail: laura.radke@froedtert.com

Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Workforce Health / North Hills Health Center 

Building B First Floor

W129 N7055 Northfield Dr.

Menomonee Falls, WI 53051

Hi David and MCOH colleagues,

I'm happy to share more details in hopes some may be useful: 

• Similar to your institution, we have an employer requirement for annual influenza vaccination that includes remote employees. I don't think that will change this year. 

• Onsite, we provide influenza vaccines that are approved by the pharmacy antimicrobial committee and actually available for pharmacy purchase.  I attend those meetings and have been successful in advocating for a range of products to meet employee needs and preferences.  That generally includes a default conventional vaccine for most, high-dose for eligible employees who want it, and Flublok for eligible employees who want it.  

• We'd like to be able to offer FluMist onsite for eligible needle-phobes, but have not been able to obtain from pharmacy for several (many) years.  It's been very difficult for employees to find it in local external pharmacies either.  Per the communication with AZ, I'm hopeful that'll change this year, both onsite and externally.

• We accept dated external documentation of any licensed influenza vaccine, including FluMist. 

• Per our Infection Control chief, FluMist has to be documented by a licensed individual who either administers it or witnesses self-administration.  I don't think that will change this year.

• Per our Infection Control chief as of 2025, staff who receive FluMist can work without restriction except for the Intensive Care Nursery and Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant.  That could evolve to be more conservative this year. 

As an aside related to FluMist restrictions, we have many staff who simply opt to mask much of the time.  I have no data, just observation, but it seems to be increasing, even in months like this when we have incredibly low numbers of respiratory pathogens circulating locally*

Amy

*leaving aside Pennsylvania's measles surge unfortunately 

Amy (and I’m “replying all” on purpose as I suspect others will be interested in this discussion)-

I am trying to bring FluMist on board as an option in our flu vaccine campaign – the vaccine remains a mandate here, even for fully remote employees. I’ve lost that battle every year for 3 years. My Hospital Epi/ID, while not opposed, wants to have a formal conversation about efficacy and safety and how the FluMist would impact us operationally. I am generally aware of this information, but I am struggling to pull together the best published data to support the efficacy and safety data to support. I know there are some limiting factors (LIMFACs, from my military days) – age restrictions, complicating medical conditions, pregnancy, etc – and I saw Rachel’s comment on the 7 day masking requirement, with which I concur.

Operationally, the arguments are relatively simple. Administration is so much quicker, cleaner, and easier, and really much cheaper since we wouldn’t have to pay for nursing time for administration clinics.

I guess where I’m going with this is: did you have to do any convincing to get your institution to agree to purchase/provide FluMist, and if so, what did you use? Are you able to share your “ammunition”? Following the discussion with ID, I have to meet the pharmacy antimicrobial committee to get that group on board. Love the bureaucracy!

Thanks for any ideas or suggestions!

David

Hi Everyone, I touched base with Astra Zeneca. They will have FluMist in all 50 states, and Flumist-At-Home in 48 (omitting Alaska and. . . -posted to the "Medical Center Occupational Health" community Catch up on activity from your Component,

Hi Everyone, I touched base with Astra Zeneca. They will have FluMist in all 50 states, and Flumist-At-Home in 48 (omitting Alaska and... -posted to the "Medical Center Occupational Health" community