Announcing Johns Hopkins Medicine Mandatory Flu Vaccination Policy

To: Faculty, staff and students of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System Corporation and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Dear Colleague,

As a member of the Johns Hopkins Medicine family, we know that you are committed to giving the very best care to our patients. Most of you receive the seasonal influenza vaccination already, and we thank you. We are now taking the extra step to make it mandatory in an effort to further reduce the risk of spreading influenza to our patients and to you.

Beginning fall 2012, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are instituting a mandatory influenza vaccination policy that requires all health care personnel and employees to receive a flu vaccination if they:

• provide ongoing patient care services or
• work in patient care or clinical care areas.

If you are unclear as to whether you are required to receive the vaccine under this policy, please speak to your supervisor or department chair. However, we encourage you to be vaccinated for your own health, as well as the health of our patients, your colleagues, your family and friends.

Compliance with this policy requires that by December 1 each year, you must:

1. Receive a flu vaccination from Occupational Health Services free of charge; or
2. Submit proof of receipt of a flu vaccination from a source outside of Johns Hopkins; or
3. If necessary, be granted a medical exception through Occupational Health Services or a religious accommodation through Human Resources (if you are a faculty member or staff) or the Office of Institutional Equity (if you are a student). Under these circumstances, you will be required to properly wear a surgical mask within six feet of any patient for the duration of the flu season.

Each Johns Hopkins Medicine member organization has adopted its own policy supporting this important institution-wide effort to protect our patients and colleagues and will address non-compliance in accordance with applicable disciplinary policies or work rules. Please visit http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/mandatoryflu for more details.

We value the contributions that each of you makes and, particularly, all your efforts to keep our patients safe while they are in our care. With the safety of our patients and our staff as our top priority, we hope you will also embrace this commitment to influenza vaccination.

Sincerely,

Edward D. Miller, M.D.
Dean of the Medical Faculty
CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ronald R. Peterson
President
The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System
EVP, Johns Hopkins Medicine