Now that a second surge of COVID-19 has begun, it is critically important for all long-term care workers to protect themselves from becoming sick with the flu by getting the flu vaccine. As we well know, staff in long-term care facilities are at an increased risk of acquiring the flu and annual flu vaccination of both residents and staff are essential to preventing outbreaks. While getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, it can protect individuals, their families and their communities from becoming sick with flu and needing medical care. The combination of flu and COVID-19 could very easily overwhelm the vulnerable residents we care for in our facilities.
What Your Facility Can Do to Help Fight the Flu
- Promote your efforts to offer flu vaccinations at your facility, click here to print a flu clinic sign to post in your facility:
- Provide flu vaccination at shift change
- Provide flu vaccination by request or on-demand
- Partner with local public health to offer flu clinic at the facility
- Partner with local pharmacy to offer flu clinic at the facility
- Offer flu vaccination at the same time as staff COVID-19 surveillance testing
- Use this poster to raise awareness about the importance of essential workers getting the flu vaccine – post in public areas in your facility and on your social media outlets
- Publicize the 90% participation rate goal in your employee communications and display a thermometer showing your progress (see attached PDF Poster)
- Access resources from both the CDC and the Mass Department of Public Health