State Health Commissioner Suspends Mandatory Flu Vaccination Requirement for Health Care Workers

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Sanjeeve DeSoyza

On October 22, 2009, New York State Commissioner of Health Richard F. Daines, M.D., suspended the mandatory influenza immunization requirement for New York State health care workers due to a shortage of available vaccines. In a letter dated October 23, 2009, the Commissioner wrote that the current emergency regulations requiring vaccination would expire on November 11, 2009, and that no new emergency regulations would be promulgated. Rather, the Department will propose a permanent regulation requiring vaccination of health care personnel in the facilities covered by the emergency regulation and post the draft for a period of public comment. The Department of Health now stresses that the limited vaccine supply should be prioritized for patients and those most at risk (pregnant women, and children and young people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years).

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CDC Issues New Flu Guidance for Employers

Posted on August 26, 2009 by Howard Wexler

On August 19, 2009, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009-2010 Influenza Season, a set of guidelines and information to assist employers in planning for the coming H1N1 influenza season. This blog post only summarizes some aspects of the Guidance, which is extensive and detailed. Before taking any action, review the entire Guidance and associated material at www.flu.gov.

The new Guidance stresses that employers should develop a flexible pandemic response plan which can be adjusted depending on the level of severity of the flu outbreak. The Guidance advises employers to key their level of actual response to advice from local public health authorities. As a baseline, the guidance stresses that “during an influenza pandemic, all sick people should stay home and away from the workplace, hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes should be encouraged, and routine cleaning of commonly touched surfaces should be performed regularly.”

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