UCSF Occupational Health Services' annual flu vaccinations for faculty, staff, learners and volunteers begin Sept. 4. Protect yourself, your coworkers, family and community by getting vaccinated this flu season. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges everyone 6 months and older to get a yearly flu vaccine as a safe and effective way to prevent mild to severe illness that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes death.  

The compliance deadline to get a flu shot for UCSF employees, physicians and learners, including UCSF Fresno and BCH Oakland, is Nov. 1, 2024. Respiratory virus season is Nov. 1 – to April 30. Flu vaccines are required by public health agencies and the University of California. 

The flu vaccination outreach clinic schedule is now available and includes up-to-date information about where and when to get a flu shot. A roving team of nurses will be coming to each main campus (Parnassus, Mission Bay and Mt. Zion) on rotation to administer flu shots and help staff who want to submit a flu declination. Flu shots are also provided by departments who have a nurse flu ambassador who will administer flu shots at work locations on request. 

By early September flu shots will be available through:  

• Your primary care provider 
• Local pharmacy covered by your primary care insurance (i.e. Walgreens, CVS, Costco, Safeway, etc.) 
• Additional options for UC Employees, Postdoctoral Scholars, and Trainees to obtain flu vaccines  
• Flu Ambassador Program in your department 

Updating your flu vaccine record is easy and convenient. Log into the Occupational Health Services Portal (VPN MyAccess required). 

• If you received your flu vaccination from a provider outside of UCSF Occupational Health, please submit the record via the OHS portal (MyAccess required) or email [email protected].  
• Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 4, you can also provide attestation of your flu vaccination through the Digital Screener. 
• The flu record should have at least two identifiers: Name, Date of Birth (DOB) or Medical Record Number (MRN). If it only includes one identifier, write your UCSF Employee ID (EID) or DOB on the record. 
• UCSF and BCH Oakland employees can also provide documentation of vaccination by emailing [email protected] or [email protected], respectively. 

Those who chose to decline the flu vaccine need to submit a declination - we need the official declination recorded. This can be done via the OHS portal or the Digital Screener.

For more details on how you or one of your team can become a flu ambassador, email [email protected].