Quick Read
- UW Medicine will continue to require universal masking in patient care areas during the respiratory virus season using guidelines developed in collaboration with public health and regional health systems in Western Washington.
- The Employee Health flu vaccine campaign will begin on Sept. 23.
- Employees should always stay home when they have respiratory virus symptoms or have a positive test for COVID-19.
- Employees in non-clinical roles in the School of Medicine are welcome to receive flu shots at the hospital clinics.
Like last year, it is anticipated that we will encounter multiple respiratory virus waves over the fall, winter and early spring seasons. These waves will likely include COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza, among others. In order to increase the safety of UW Medicine patient care environments for patients and for healthcare workers, we will be requiring the use of masks and/or respirators in patient care spaces based on the same transmission thresholds established last year in coordination with public health partners and local health systems. Our approach also includes initiating the annual UW Medicine flu prevention and vaccine campaign and preparing for a new COVID-19 vaccine.
Employee Flu Vaccine Campaign: The annual flu vaccine is the most effective way to lower your risk of seasonal flu and serious complications from the infection. Our employee vaccination campaign, starting on September 23, 2024, will make it quick and easy for you to receive your shot and document your compliance with UW Medicine’s vaccine requirement. For information on vaccine clinic locations and hours, please visit UW Medicine Influenza Prevention Program (AMC login required).
Note: Employees in non-clinical roles in the School of Medicine are welcome to receive flu shots at the hospital clinics. Check with your departments for specific vaccination, masking and contact tracing requirements. Regardless of where we are with these specific viruses, routine masking while indoors continues to be strongly recommended in all UW Medicine facilities.
COVID-19 Vaccine: The FDA approved and authorized the 2024-2025 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines on August 22, 2024. The FDA also authorized the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted (2024 – 2025 Formula) under the Emergency Use Authorization on August 30, 2024. These updated vaccines offer better protection against specific emerging strains of the virus. Employee Health will not have a supply of COVID-19 vaccines. Employees are encouraged to get their COVID-19 vaccine through their provider or retail pharmacies where they will be widely available.
Stay Home When Sick: If you have any symptoms of a respiratory illness, stay home and contact Employee Health by phone or email. You can check for COVID-19 with either a home antigen test (based on two swabs separated by 48 hours) or a PCR test through your provider. If you test positive, you should complete the UW Medicine Employee Health COVID-19 Contact Tracing Survey. Once you report a positive test, you will immediately receive an email with details about isolation during your illness. For other respiratory virus infections, like cold and flu, please stay home until your symptoms have significantly improved, you don’t have a fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication), and you can control any coughing, sneezing or runny nose symptoms.
Masking Requirements: UW Medicine, in collaboration with other healthcare systems across Western Washington, will implement universal masking in patient care areas each year during the respiratory virus season. This precautionary measure aims to minimize the risk of exposure to and transmission of respiratory viruses. We are coordinating with regional health systems, public health agencies and the Northwest Healthcare Response Network to monitor metrics, such as Emergency Department visits, positivity rates and hospitalization rates, that will trigger the use of masks. We expect that masking will become a standard part of our annual response to the respiratory virus season and will continue to be a key strategy during COVID-19 surges and outbreaks.
For more information about the respiratory virus season and new COVID-19 vaccine, see Fall 2024: A new vaccine for COVID-19 (with Dr. Seth Cohen).
Thank you for your partnership to keep our patients, staff and loved ones safe during this fall and winter.
Sincerely,
UW Medicine Infection Prevention & Employee Health Teams
