ELMHURST MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Policy:
Influenza Vaccination Policy
Manual:
Human Resources
Section:
Employee Health Page 1 of 4
POLICY:
Policy
Date:
July, 2012
It is the policy of EMHC to minimize transmission of the influenza
virus in the workplace by providing occupational protection to staff.
APPLICABLE TO: All persons working within EMHC patient care sites.
Annual influenza vaccination will be mandatory for all staff of
EMHC that have any contact with patients, all volunteers that have
any contact with patients and all physicians that are paid by the
organization.
Departments that are not mandated but are highly encouraged to
receive their influenza vaccination are as follows:
Physicians that are not paid by the organization.
Communications, laundry, pharmacy staff that have no patient
contact, finance staff that have no patient contact, marketing,
human resources, legal, information services and clinic staff that
have no patient contact.
Other specific groups providing patient care (flu shot
required) :
• Vendors anticipating to have access to patients from
October 1 through March 31st must have verification of flu
immunization entered into Reptrax annually by December 1st
of each calendar year.
• Contract employees anticipating to have access to patients
from October 1st through March 31st, will need to provide
proof of vaccination to Employee Health annually. Managers
that have contract employees as part of their staff during the
above timeframe, must communicate this policy to the
contract employee, and provide Employee Health with a list
of current contract employees annually by December 1st.
•
Students performing clinical rotations at an EMHC clinical
site will need to be up to date with this vaccine policy
annually (i.e., flu vaccine for the current season).
Manual:
Policy:
Human Resources
Influenza Vaccine Policy
Policy #
Page 2 of4
Date
July, 2012
CONDITIONS:
•
Vaccine will be available to EMHC employees, physicians & volunteers free of
charge through Employee Health.
•
Employee Health will manage the distribution of vaccine, targeting those
employees having a mandatory requirement to receive vaccine first.
•
Staff will be given the opportunity to apply for an annual exemption from the
requirements of this policy for either medical or religious reasons. Exemptions
will be reviewed on a case by case basis by either the Medical Director of
Employee Health or by the Director of Spiritual Services. Exemptions must be
applied for & reviewed prior to the beginning of the vaccine administration
program annually.
PROCEDURE:
•
Staff vaccinations will begin in the first or second week of October each year
(dependent on vaccine availability from manufacturers).
•
Staff vaccinations must be completed by December 1st annually. Employee
Health will begin compliance notification to managers on or about December 1st.
•
Employee Health will vaccinate new employees as part of the ‘post-offer’ hiring
process throughout the influenza season.
•
Staff applying for an exemption must do so by October 1st of each calendar year.
Acceptable exemptions include:
o Medical contraindication. These will require valid documentation from a
health care provider and will be reviewed/approved by the Medical
Director of Employee Health.
§
Exemption requests must be provided to Employee Health by
October 1st annually. Employee Health will be responsible for
record-keeping of requests/approvals/denials.
§
Decisions regarding exemptions will be returned by November 1st of
each year.
o Religious objection to vaccination. These requests will be
reviewed/approved by the Manager of Spiritual Services.
o Proof of vaccination received elsewhere.
Manual:
Policy:
Human Resources
Influenza Vaccine Policy
Policy #
Page 3 of4
Date
July, 2012
RESPONSIBILITY:
Managers:
•
Share responsibility for the enforcement of this policy.
•
Monitor their staff’s completion of assigned education modules in MC
strategies related to this policy.
Employee:
•
Share responsibility for understanding and adhering to this policy.
•
Non- compliance will be addressed in a manner consistent with other policy
violations.
Employee Health:
•
Orders adequate amounts of vaccine each year.
•
Coordinates the distribution and dissemination of vaccine & supplies
necessary to vaccinate staff.
•
Maintains electronic records of all staff that have received or declined the
vaccine.
•
Provide compliance lists to managers.
•
Provide statistical reporting of annual vaccination rates and statistical data
related to declinations (number & reasons).
•
Provide educational materials to staff through the Education Council, the
Work Life Council and to all managers/staff through MC strategies.
•
Develop & recommend strategies, to enhance and improve vaccination rates.
Medical Director Employee Health/Manager Spiritual Services
•
Reviews requests for religious or medical exemption and may confer with the
Hospital Epidemiologist or the employee’s primary physician as part of the
exemption decision-making process.
Manual:
Policy:
Human Resources
Influenza Vaccine Policy
Policy #
Page 4 of4
Date
July, 2012
REQUIRED FORMS
• Consent/VIS (Vaccine Information Statement)
• Medical exemption request form / instruction sheet (also found on portal/HR
forms
• Religious exemption request form (also found on portal/HR forms)