2023-2024 flu immunization FAQs

The vaccine is available at kickoff week flu clinics, facilities rounding, Asante pharmacies, Asante Employee Health and any retail pharmacy. APP employees can receive the flu shot at the clinic in which they work. Remote workers can attend any of the hospital clinics or get their shot through their primary care provider. Those who receive their vaccination through a non-Asante provider or pharmacy will need to attest in MyChart.

See the schedule »

This year’s deadline to be vaccinated or submit an attestation/declination is Nov. 30.

Yes. Vaccination is still the most effective way to protect yourself, your loved ones and our patients from influenza.

Asante is required to report its vaccination rate to state health authorities. As a health system we are expected to meet an employee immunization target of 90%.

Employees, medical staff members, volunteers, students and contractors are expected to wear masks in all Asante hospitals, APP clinics, outpatient services and pharmacies or wherever they are likely to interact with patients. This includes inpatient units, outpatient clinics, registration areas, reception areas, waiting areas, and elevators and hallways used for patient transport. When in doubt, consult Asante’s Influenza Vaccination and Masking policy.

Asante’s badge rings indicating vaccination status were discontinued in 2022. All staff members are expected to do what’s right to protect their co-workers, our patients and others they encounter in our facilities and take proper precautions, including wearing a mask.

• Get a flu shot early in the season before the community starts seeing cases of influenza. Employee flu vaccine clinics take place the first two weeks of October with rounding throughout the fall. The vaccine is also available at Asante Employee Health, pharmacies and through your primary care provider.
• Employees who receive a flu shot outside of Asante must complete their influenza vaccination attestation in MyChart by Nov. 30.
• Employees who decline the vaccine must file their declination or medical exception in MyChart no later than Nov. 30.

If you don’t have a MyChart account to attest or decline vaccination, you may submit paper attestation form or declination form to Asante Employee Health.

Employees who do not comply with the policy will be subject to written corrective action as they would if they fail to follow any Asante policy.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule applies only to patients’ personal health information. Requiring unvaccinated employees to wear masks in the workplace does not violate patient privacy — instead, it protects patients from potential exposure to the flu virus in our facilities.

Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of serious allergies or a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome must still submit a declination form by Nov. 30 and must still wear a mask around patients and in patient care areas when flu season is declared.

Yes, the CDC no longer recommends a waiting period between the different immunizations.

Teams will not be administering COVID boosters as part of the flu clinics. When this year’s COVID booster becomes available, employees can receive the shot through APP clinics or their primary care provider.

As long as the vaccine is available, employees who previously declined vaccination may still be immunized.

With COVID-19 mask restrictions lifted in our communities, the chance of contracting influenza is expected to rise again. As health care professionals we must ensure our patients, their families and our co-workers are safe from the flu.

In addition, Asante is required to report its vaccination rate to state health authorities. As a health system we are expected to meet an employee immunization target of 90%.

Questions? Email fl*@as****.org.