December 14, 2009

TO: ALL UCSF PERSONNEL

FROM: Josh Adler, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer

UCSF Medical Center

RE: FLU SHOT POLICY AND PROTECTIVE MASKS

Historically, UCSF Medical Center sees an increase in seasonal flu during the last week of December and the first week of January. In anticipation of that trend, UCSF is preparing to enforce another requirement of its new flu policy. Effective Dec. 15, any UCSF employee who has not had both the seasonal and H1N1 influenza vaccines will need to wear a surgical mask when entering a patient room, procedure room or outpatient exam room.

Masks will not yet be required in hallways, meeting rooms or other non-direct patient care areas of the medical center. If there is a resurgence of H1N1 influenza or a significant outbreak of seasonal influenza, we will fully implement the policy requiring masks for unvaccinated employees in all patient areas of the medical center.

The medical center is making every effort to protect employees from getting and spreading the flu and to protect our patients from getting the flu while in our care. Implementing this further step of our new policy will help safeguard you and your family, your co-workers and our patients.

For those who haven't yet been vaccinated, seasonal flu shots are still available. See the Occupational Health Web site at http://occupationalhealthprogram.ucsf.edu/ for the schedule of the seasonal flu shot drop-in clinics at Mount Zion and Parnassus for UCSF personnel.

H1N1 vaccine was offered last month to all UCSF employees, volunteers and students in patient care areas. (If your red or blue dot has fallen off your ID badge, you can get another from Occupational Health Services.)

A small amount -- about 500 doses -- of H1N1 arrived this morning and will be administered this week by Occupational Health. These doses are for UCSF personnel working in patient care areas. The vaccine will be administered at Parnassus at 350 Parnassus Ave., Suite 206, and at Mount Zion at 2330 Post St., Suite 460 on the following dates and times:

  • Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, Dec. 17, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Friday, Dec. 18, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

We don't yet know when we'll receive additional H1N1 vaccine.

For more information about the new flu shot policy, see the medical center Intranet at

REMINDER: Medical center employees who decline the seasonal flu or H1N1 vaccine must view an informational video at http://www.occupationalhealthprogram.ucsf.edu/DrJosh/FluShotIntro.asp and complete the online form at the end of the video to decline the vaccine.