Flu season is here, and the best way to protect yourself and others is with a flu shot

The time is now. Flu season is in full swing and the most important step you can take to keep yourself, your family, and community healthy this year is to get vaccinated. Receiving a flu vaccination helps reduce your risk of flu illness and protects you from spreading it to others that are more susceptible to illness.

The flu vaccine can take up to two weeks after being administered to provide full protection. Receiving your shot by the end October is recommended by the CDC to ensure the greatest protection throughout the entire flu season.

“As we enter a new season where both flu and COVID-19 are present, it’s incredibly important to take advantage of every opportunity to boost your immune system. Getting a flu shot is a simple but essential step in helping to safeguard your health,” said Lori Rolando, MD, MPH, director of the Vanderbilt Occupational Health Clinic.

FLUla-2-Uza makes getting your flu immunization easy and convenient. This year VUMC faculty and staff have several options as to where to receive their flu vaccination. Employees working on-campus can visit the Occupational Health Clinic (OHC) locations on main campus or at One Hundred Oaks, attend an OHC on-site event anywhere across campus or in their department, or utilize the Peer Vaccination Program to get vaccinated right in their unit.

For those working remotely, flu vaccination can be obtained at convenient locations in the community, including the Vanderbilt Health Walk-in Clinics or Vanderbilt Health Clinics at Walgreens. Reporting your off-campus vaccine documentation can be done securely online. Visit OHC’s Employee Influenza Vaccine Program website for full details, and check out the searchable “OHC Comes to You” calendar for a list of all on-site event locations.

To accommodate the greatest number of individuals receiving the vaccine, VUMC is offering multiple options. The standard Quadrivalent (four-component) vaccine, the egg-free flu vaccine for those with egg allergies, and a high dose flu vaccine. The high dose vaccine contains four times the standard dose and can provide greater protection from flu in populations Ages 65 and older.

VUMC’s flu campaigns have always aimed to create a fun and community-focused health initiative. This year’s FLula-2-Uza campaign is no different. Although we may not all be gathering in one place this year, we are still working together to accomplish one goal; create greater community immunity through mass vaccination.

 “The purpose of our flu campaign every year is to be a convenient resource for our faculty and staff. Cultivating a community of peer encouragement where we are reinforcing the importance of receiving their vaccine, means that every member of VUMC is involved in keeping one another healthy,” adds Rolando.

Share a selfie sporting your FLUla-2-Uza sticker after your vaccination and tag @WellVanderbilt with #FLUla2Uza to join in on the fun and explore pictures of all our faculty and staff.

For VUMC faculty and staff, the deadline for flu vaccination or approved flu exemption is Dec. 1.

VUMC’s “Department Honor Roll” webpage will recognize departments whose employees all received their flu shot or an approved exemption. Join the challenge by encouraging those you work with to roll up their sleeve and take part in FLUla-2-Uza 2020!