Reminder: Flulapalooza postponed -- but you can still get your flu shot

Flu season is right around the corner, and your health and safety is our top priority. Keeping safety in mind, this year’s Flulapalooza event, previously scheduled for Sept. 22 in the outdoor tent between Light Hall and the Veterans Administration Hospital (VA), has been postponed. While plans have changed, we are excited to announce our second annual FLUla-2-Uza event -- a convenient and easy way to receive your flu vaccination.

FLUla-2-Uza makes getting your flu immunization easy and convenient. VUMC faculty and staff have several options as to where to receive their flu vaccination.

• Starting Friday, Sept. 17, employees can visit the Medical Center East E-Pod Breakroom. Walk-in services are available 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday -Friday.
• Visit the Occupational Health Clinic (OHC) locations on main campus (Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.) or at One Hundred Oaks (Thursdays, 8 -11:30 a.m.).
• Utilize the Peer Vaccination Program, which enables eligible staff members to vaccinate their coworkers.
• Take advantage of our “OHC to Comes to You” program to request a departmental onsite event. The request tool will be available soon.
• For more information about the options above, visit the Employee Influenza Vaccine Program site.

To receive a flu vaccine at Vanderbilt Wilson County, Vanderbilt Bedford and Vanderbilt Tullahoma Harton, please reach out to your respective Occupational Health resource at your location.

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 documentation from a flu vaccine obtained outside Occupational Health or the Peer Vaccination Program can be done securely online using this LINK.

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, so it is recommended to obtain it as early as possible to ensure the greatest protection throughout the entire flu season. For VUMC faculty and staff, the deadline for flu vaccination or approved flu exemption is Dec. 1.

VUMC’s flu campaigns have always aimed to create a fun and community-focused health initiative, and this year’s FLUla-2-Uza campaign is no different. Although we may not all be gathering in one place this year due to COVID-19, we are still working together to accomplish the essential goal of creating greater community immunity through mass vaccination.