Flu shot required for IU Health workers

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - One of the major hospital systems in the Indianapolis areas makes it mandatory for health care workers to get flu shots — and it’s something the federal government stands behind.

IU Health requires the vaccine, and officials say the reason is simple.

"We want to assure our patients that when they come to our hospitals that they are not likely to get influenza from any of our health care workers," said Dr. Douglas Webb, medical director for infection control at IU Health.

But an IU Health employee is upset about the mandatory requirement. In an email to 24-Hour News 8, she said in part, "It is ridiculous that health care workers are being forced to put harmful chemicals into their body."

Dr. Webb said it’s easy to spread flu, though.

"Unfortunately you can acquire influenza and become infected with the virus and you may not have much in the way of symptoms. And you can spread that virus then to patients or other health care workers."

Webb said employees can apply for an exemption if they have a compelling reason for it.

"But we have a system set up to review those requests,” Webb said, “and a panel of (doctors) to review those throughout our system."

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration addressed the issue a few years ago. Back in 2009 during the H1N1 flu pandemic fear, the same question came up.

"Although OSHA does not specifically require employees to take the vaccines," the agency wrote, "an employer may do so."

"There are probably over 200 health care systems around the country that have implemented what we would call a mandatory influenza vaccine, and it's been very successful in a number of places," said Webb.

IU Health's mandatory flu shot program is part of a larger citywide initiative with the Indianapolis Coalition for Patient Safety. It includes Community Health Network and Franciscan St. Francis Health. The goal is to get a better than 95 percent vaccination rate among health care workers.