Fighting flu starts with you
Flu season and a continuing COVID-19 pandemic is a bad mix. The potential for sicker patients, an overburdened health care system and strained testing capabilities is real.
Protect yourself, your family, coworkers and patients by getting a flu shot. Health care workers should only decline the flu vaccine for a documented medical contraindication — a condition where the vaccine could cause harm.
Penn State Health and College of Medicine have set a flu vaccine compliance rate of 100%. This means:
- Employees will get the flu shot through Penn State Health or from another provider or clinic with written verification for Employee Health.
- Employees with a medical contraindication will fill out and submit the declination form.
Wearing the required mask for COVID-19 is not an acceptable reason to decline the influenza vaccination. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) flu vaccination information for health care workers to get the facts.
Hershey Medical Center
Flu shot clinic dates for Hershey Medical Center, Academic Support Building and Crystal A employees are on the Employee Health page of the Infonet. Schedule an appointment here.
Hershey will give a high-dose vaccine to employees more than 65 years old on Monday, Oct. 5, and Thursday, Oct. 22, or by appointment in the Employee Health office.
Flu vaccine information from the CDC and the declination form are also posted on the Employee Health page. Print the Vaccine Information Sheet and review it prior to your appointment.
Consent forms are available outside the Employee Health office and at all appointment locations.
For additional information, contact Lori Bechtel at 717-531-8280.
College of Medicine
In partnership with Health Advocate, the university’s employee assistance program, Penn State is offering flu vaccinations to College of Medicine employees.
College of Medicine employees who are members of Penn State’s health care plan can receive a vaccine at any network pharmacy or their primary physician’s office using their insurance card.
All College of Medicine employees and all eligible spouses who are covered under the Penn State health care plan can use the drive-thru flu clinic on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Academic Support Building parking lot in Hershey.
Employees can also request a voucher to receive a vaccine at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Rite Aid and Safeway pharmacies where available. Employees do not need to be members of Penn State’s health care plan to receive a voucher.
To sign up for a drive-thru flu clinic or request a voucher:
- Log in or, for first-time users, register at healthadvocate.com.
- Click on the white button on the right side entitled “Schedule a Flu Shot.”
- Choose Schedule Your Appointment.
- Select your site, service, date and time. Click Submit.
- If you are unable to attend a clinic, please scroll down and click on one of the listed pharmacies to download a voucher.
- You’ll receive an email to confirm your appointment and add it to your calendar.
To call and request a voucher, sign up for the drive-thru flu vaccine or for any other questions, contact Health Advocate at 800-970-1263.
All College of Medicine employees are welcome to schedule a time slot for any of the Hershey Medical Center Employee Health flu sessions here.
Penn State Health Medical Group
Employees who work at Penn State Health Medical Group practices are encouraged to get influenza vaccinations at their workplace site. Employees can contact the Employee Health Care Concierge Service Line at 1-833-774-8326 to schedule a free flu shot.
Employees who wish to schedule a time slot for any of the Hershey Medical Center Employee Health flu sessions need to sign up here on the Infonet’s Employee Health page.
Fluzone® High-Dose Quadravalent is available to both Academic and Community Practice Division employees. Please notify the scheduling staff member if you wish to receive this form of the vaccine to ensure it is available on your preferred date.
Penn State Health St. Joseph
St. Joseph employee flu shot clinics are underway and run through Wednesday, Oct. 28. Clinics are offered at both the Bern Township and Downtown Reading campuses on various dates and times to accommodate all work schedules. See the calendar here for details. Employees with questions should see their department flu team lead or call Employee Health.
Satellite offices will administer the flu shot to employees at each location.
All employees, volunteers, agency staff, students, interns, contracted service personnel and other health care workers must be immunized annually. Anyone who cannot receive the vaccination due to medical or religious reasons, must email or call Employee Health at 610-378-2191 to apply for an exemption by Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Employees who receive the flu vaccine elsewhere must send proof of immunization here by Friday, Oct. 30.
For complete details, visit St. Joseph’s Employee Health page.
Shared Services
Shared Services employees have several options to receive flu shots.
If you are assigned to work on either of our hospital campuses, see the instructions above.
If you are assigned to work in off-campus buildings or remotely:
- Flu shots are available at some designated outpatient sites, including Camp Hill, Elizabethtown, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Middletown, Mount Joy, Nyes Road and Palmyra.
- Employees may contact the Employee Health Care Concierge Service Line at 1-833-774-8326 to schedule a free visit.
- Fluzone®High-Dose Quadravalent is available. Please inquire when scheduling to ensure it is available on your preferred date.
If you receive a flu shot elsewhere, send proof of immunization to:
- Shared Services staff located in Berks: PSHSJemployeehealth@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
- All other Shared Services staff: employeehealth@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
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