Basic Information
General FAQs About Seasonal Flu
Q: Who should have the seasonal flu vaccination?
A: The CDC advises the following groups to get influenza vaccination during the 2009-2010 season:
- Children aged 6 months to 19 years
- Pregnant women
- People aged 50 years old and older
- People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, emphysema, or HIV/AIDS
- People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
- People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
- Health care workers
- Household contacts of persons at high risk for flu complications
- Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children younger than 6 months
Q: I know vaccines are made using eggs —what if I am allergic to eggs?
A: People with severe or life-threatening allergies to chicken eggs should not be vaccinated. However, if you do not have a history of life-threatening allergy to eggs, you may still be able to have the vaccine. Contact your primary care physician, who may do a skin prick test and observe your reaction or may refer you to an allergist who can measure the severity of your allergy to the vaccine and determine if you can have it.
Q: Which type of vaccination — the shot or nasal spray — should I have?
A: There are two types of influenza vaccines that protect against seasonal flu. The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine, which means it contains killed, or inactive, virus). A different kind of vaccine, called the nasal-spray flu vaccine (sometimes referred to as LAIV for live attenuated influenza vaccine, brandname, FluMist), has been available since 2003. The nasal-spray flu vaccine contains weakened live viruses. It is administered by nasal sprayer. It is approved for use only among healthy people 2 to 49 years who are not pregnant. Details about the nasal spray are available here. Check with your health care provider to determine which vaccine is best for you.
Q: Against what types of flu will the 2009 vaccine protect me?
A: The 2009-2010 seasonal flu vaccine contains three new flu virus strains: A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus; A/Brisbane/10/2007(H3N2)-like virus; and b/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens. For more information about the effectiveness of flu vaccine, read this explanation on the CDC Web site. For more information about how the viruses in the vaccine are selected, visit this CDC Web site page.
For More Information on Seasonal Flu:
Seasonal flu basics
FAQs about seasonal flu
FDA approval of the 2009-2010 seasonal flu vaccine
Vaccine Safety
UAB Dear Doctors column
UAB Experts’ advice about seasonal and H1N1 flu
H1N1
Vaccination Availability at UAB
H1N1 Flu Vaccination for Faculty and Staff
Dates for administering H1N1 vaccine will be announced as soon as the vaccine is available. Vaccine distribution is expected in mid October.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 flu virus on September 15, 2009.
Protection against H1N1 influenza requires the H1N1 vaccine. Even if H1N1 flu seems to have peaked in your area, UAB experts still recommend you have the vaccine to protect against the possible reemergence of the virus in the spring, when flu viruses typically have an upswing.
FAQs About H1N1 Flu for UAB Staff and Faculty
Q: What do I do if I get sick?
A. An employee experiencing flu-like symptoms should immediately notify his or her supervisor or department head. The employee should stay at home until free of fever without use of fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours. The duration of the time off may be longer for employees with direct patient care responsibilities; these employees should discuss their specific situation with their supervisor.
The time off may be charged to accrued sick time. If not enough sick time is available then the employee will be charged accrued vacation or personal holiday time. If total accrued benefit time is not sufficient to cover time away from work, then the employee will be placed in an unpaid status.
Q. What do I do if one my coworkers is sick but keeps coming to work?
A. If a coworker appears to have flu-like symptoms, you should use standard contact precautions (frequent handwashing and maintaining a distance of 6 feet or more) and alert the appropriate supervisor or department head. The individual should be directed by their supervisor to go home immediately and self-isolate in order to keep from spreading the virus to others.
Q. They've closed my child's school/daycare as a precautionary measure and I don't have alternate childcare arrangements. What should I do about leave?
A. If your child's school or child care facility closes, you may use accrued vacation, personal holiday or sick time for the duration of the closure with your supervisor or department head's approval.
Q. They've closed my child's school/daycare as a precautionary measure but my child isn't sick. Can I bring him/her to work with me?
A. No. Children should not be brought into the workplace for extended periods of time. Employees should follow the guidelines in the above FAQ concerning children and school/daycare closure.
Q. Can I work from home?
A. Employees may work from home if initiated or approved by their department head. Implementation will depend on several factors, including necessity and feasibility. All employees should expect that approval will vary from department to department, and may also vary among employees within the same department. Employees with direct patient care responsibilities can not perform work from home.
Q. If I have been here less than 6 months and contract the flu, will I be able to make up lost time when I am healthy and continue receiving pay and benefits, or will I receive no pay if I have to take time off?
A. An employee in their initial 6-month probationary period will not be eligible to use benefit time if they miss work due to the employee or a family member contracting the flu; instead, these employees will be placed in an unpaid status. As per UAB policy, Hospital employees in their initial six-month probationary period may use accrued personal holiday time. A UAB Health System employee who misses work for any reason during his or her 6-month probationary period can use his or her mandatory paid time off (PTO) time and any additional PTO hours purchased.
Q: Who should be vaccinated against H1N1?
A: The groups recommended to receive the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine include:
- Pregnant women: Pregnant women are at higher risk of complications and can potentially provide protection to their infants who cannot be vaccinated.
- Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months: Younger infants are at higher risk of influenza-related complications and cannot be vaccinated. Vaccination of people in close contact with infants younger than 6 months might help protect infants by “cocooning” them from the virus.
- Health care and emergency medical services personnel: Infections among healthcare workers have been reported and illness in this group creates a potential source of infection for vulnerable patients. Also, increased absenteeism in this population could reduce health care system capacity.
- All people aged 6 months to 24 years
- Children aged 6 months to 18 years: Cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza have been confirmed in children and teenagers who are in close contact with each other in school and day care settings, which increases the likelihood of disease spread, and
- Young adults aged 19 to 24 years: Many cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza have been confirmed in these healthy young adults who often live, work, and study in close proximity. Individuals in this age group also tend to be highly mobile, increasing their chances of spreading infection.
- Persons aged 25 to 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza: Conditions that increase the risk of flu-related complications include asthma, lung disease, diabetes, a compromised immune system, memory problems, neuromuscular disorders, chronic heart disease, smoking, chronic kidney, liver, or blood disease, epilepsy, and cancer. Also at high risk are persons younger than 19 years who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy.
Q: I know vaccines are made using eggs — what if I am allergic to eggs?
A: People with severe or life-threatening allergies to chicken eggs should not be vaccinated. However, if your egg allergy is not life-threatening, you may still be able to have the vaccine. Contact your primary care physician, who may do a skin prick test and observe your reaction or may refer you to an allergist who can measure the severity of your allergy to the vaccine and determine if you can have it.
Q. Will UAB entities provide free H1N1 flu vaccine to employees?
A. UAB entities offer seasonal flu immunization free of charge to all faculty and staff. When the H1N1 vaccine is available, which will probably be mid to late October, it will be given at no charge and in priority order to:
- Pregnant women
- Health care workers and emergency medical responders who are direct care providers
- People caring for infants younger than 6 months
- Children and young adults aged 6 months to 24 years
- People aged 25 to 64 years with underlying medical conditions (eg asthma, diabetes)
Q. If I get a vaccine for the H1N1 flu will my spouse/child also get a vaccine to protect them so I won't have to worry about giving them the virus if I come to work and come in contact with flu patients?
A. UAB entities will offer H1N1 and seasonal flu shots to faculty and staff. Family members should seek other sources such as their primary care doctor, or the Alabama Department of Public Health. An updated list of sites offering vaccines is here. (embed: http://www.adph.org/Immunization/index.asp?id=1770
Q. I'm a hospital employee; do I have to wear a mask at work?
A. Hospital employees should follow their standard department protocol unless otherwise instructed by their department head.
For More Information on H1N1
Alabama Department of Public Health information on H1N1
CDC information on H1N1
FDA approval of the H1N1 vaccine
UAB Dear Doctors column on H1N1
UAB Experts’ advice about seasonal and H1N1 flu: