In the fight to halt the spread of influenza, the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) is recognizing practices throughout the state who report that 100 percent of their eligible employees have been vaccinated against influenza.
PAMED believes that it is especially important for health care workers to get the influenza vaccine so they do not expose vulnerable patients to the highly contagious disease.
If your practice is completely vaccinated, email
stat@pamedsoc.org to receive a letter to post in your practice recognizing this achievement.
To qualify, influenza vaccine must have been administered to all employees who are eligible to receive it, as determined by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For the 2010-2011 flu season, the CDC recommends that everyone six months of age and older receive the flu shot, except for:
• People who have a severe (life-threatening) allergy to chicken eggs
• People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination
• People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within six weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
These people should consult with their physician about the flu vaccine. People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.
In addition to the CDC guidelines, practices can still qualify for 100 percent participation if there are employees who do not receive the vaccine for religious reasons.