Information for the 2022-2023 Influenza Season
We are dedicated to the safety, health and well-being of our patients and staff. Protecting the infants, children and teens in our care is at the heart of all that we do. This includes protecting our patients from communicable diseases such as influenza (flu).
As we have required since 2013, all employees, physicians and allied health professionals with clinical privileges, students, trainees, volunteers, and vendors must receive the flu vaccine each year.
The goal of mandatory flu immunization is to help protect our patients from the flu and the risks it poses to children with critical or chronic illness. At any given time, more than half of our patients are too young or too immunosuppressed to receive the flu vaccine. Full immunization of Johns Hopkins All Children’s personnel helps to protect our patients to the greatest possible extent. In a season when COVID-19 and influenza may create even greater challenges, this is even more important.
This website provides some basic information for the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital community. We have also included the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital Influenza Vaccination policy, which was updated on Sept. 7, 2020.
Employees (Including Employed Physicians)
Every Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital employee must receive the flu vaccine at scheduled events on campus or submit proof of immunization from a flu shot received off campus by Nov. 18, 2022.
Employees will have three ways to obtain a flu shot at no charge:
- At Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Facilities: Walgreens will host flu vaccine clinics at Johns Hopkins All Children’s and several outreach centers. See the October schedule here; the November schedule will be posted when finalized. These events are open to All Children’s employees and to medical staff with clinical privileges. Walk-ins are welcome. If Walgreen's shares an appointment sign-up we will share it here. For those receiving a flu vaccine, the COVID-19 bivalent booster will also be available at these events as supplies permit.
- At a Walgreen’s Retail Pharmacy: Employees can get a free flu shot at many Walgreens retail pharmacies. Download your voucher by logging into the Vaccine Management System (use Chrome, Firefox or Safari, not Internet Explorer). Bring your voucher and employee ID badge with you to Walgreens. After you get your flu shot, upload the documentation in the Vaccine Management System.
- At Other Locations: You can also choose to get the shot at other retail or medical locations. If you participate in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s employee health plan, choose a location covered by Cigna and bring your insurance card with you.
Nov. 18, is the deadline to receive the flu vaccine. If you get a flu shot at a Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital location, it will be immediately recorded in the Hopkins Vaccine Management System. If you get the flu shot at a Walgreens pharmacy or any other location, you must upload documentation in the Vaccine Management System by Nov. 18.
The vaccine is mandatory for all employees except those with an approved exemption based on certain medical conditions or on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs. A medical or religious exception request must be submitted by Oct. 31, 2022 through the Johns Hopkins Vaccine Management System.
Except in the case of a permanent medical condition, medical and religious exemption requests must be resubmitted each year.
Non-Employee Medical Staff and Other Credentialed Allied Health Professionals including ARNPs and PAs
Physicians, PAs, APRNs and other credentialed allied health professionals of private medical staff with clinical privileges at Johns Hopkins All Children’s also need to receive the flu vaccine by Nov. 18. They can receive a flu shot free of charge during the vaccine clinics at the main campus in St. Petersburg. See the vaccine clinic schedule here.
Alternatively, non-employee medical staff and other credentialed allied health professions can receive the flu vaccine at a location of their choice and submit proof of immunization to the Medical Affairs office by Nov. 18. Scan the documentation and email it to Kristy Stewart at [email protected].
Failure to be immunized by that date will result in suspension of privileges until proof of immunization is provided, or until the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Vice President of Medical Affairs declares flu season has ended.
You can download a medical exemption request form, a religious accommodation form and the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Influenza Vaccination Policy here.
Volunteers
Johns Hopkins All Children’s volunteers should receive a 2022-2023 flu shot from their physician, a clinic or a retail location by and submit proof of vaccination to the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Occupational Health Department by fax at (727) 767-8399, no later than Nov. 18. Volunteers who are not immunized against the flu will not be able to participate in on-campus volunteer activities until after the flu season has ended.
Students and Trainees
Medical students, nursing students, allied health students and trainees must receive the annual flu vaccine before they can participate in on-campus training at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital during the 2022-2023 flu season.
- Nursing students and allied health students must provide this documentation to their school.
- Students/residents/fellows who are on campus in Fall 2022 and have a Johns Hopkins All Children’s badge are eligible to receive the flu shot provided on-site by Walgreens staff at specified times.
- The Office of Medical Education must have a signed attestation on file for all graduate medical education residents/fellows. Any other students or trainees must sign an attestation of compliance with the policy.
Vendors
Vendors should upload proof of immunization by following instructions found in the VendorMate kiosk.
Vendors who do not submit proof of immunization by Nov. 18, will not be able to visit the campus until the Johns Hopkins All Children's Vice President of Medical Affairs declares flu season has ended.
Please direct any questions to Mark Latcheran, Director of Supply Chain Operations, at [email protected] or 727-767-8479.
Information for Patients and Family Members
Because your child’s health and well-being are very important to us, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital now requires that our personnel receive the flu vaccine each year. The goal of our policy is to protect our patients as much as possible. We hope that you will do your part, too.
We recommend the flu vaccine for all of our patients who are over six months of age and have medical clearance. Talk with your child’s doctor about the vaccine.
We encourage parents, brothers and sisters, and other household members and caregivers to get a flu shot. This is an important step in protecting your family’s health. While we are not able to provide flu shots for parents and other family members, there are many places where it is available, including physician offices, pharmacies, walk-in clinics, supermarkets and the Florida Department of Health. The Pinellas Health Department office closest to the hospital is located at 205 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, phone: 727-824-6900.