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COVID-19

Flu Shots: What’s New for the 2021-2022 Season

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From the Mercy Occupational Medicine October eNewsletter

With much of the news focused on the recent resurgence in Covid-19 cases, it is easy to forget about other viruses such as influenza. The flu is likely to be as prevalent this season as it has been in the past, and paired with the threat of COVID-19, it is especially important to protect yourself and your employees with a seasonal flu vaccine.

However, there are some recent changes to the flu vaccine for the 2021-2022 flu season that people should be aware of before receiving the shot.

  • The composition of flu vaccines has been updated. There are many different strands of the influenza virus and they are constantly mutating. The composition of the flu vaccine is reviewed annually and updated as needed to match circulating flu viruses.
  • All flu vaccines will be quadrivalent. Seasonal flu vaccines are designed to protect against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. All flu vaccines in the United States are “quadrivalent” vaccines, which means they protect against four different flu viruses: an influenza A(H1N1) virus, an influenza A(H3N2) virus, and two influenza B viruses.
  • Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time. Even though both vaccines can be given at the same visit, people should follow the recommended schedule for either vaccine. The CDC recommends getting a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can, and, ideally, a flu vaccine by the end of October.
  • Recommended recipients of flu vaccination. The CDC recommends everyone over 6 months old receive the flu vaccine every year with few exceptions. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications.

Mercy Urgent Care can help support your employees with flu vaccinations for your workforce. To learn about onsite flu vaccination clinics for your business, contact Mercy Occupational Medicine.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Pfizer FDA Approval/ Booster shots

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From the September Mercy Occupational Medicine eNewsletter

On Aug. 23, Pfizer BioNTech became the first company to receive full FDA approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. Commenting on this approval, acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D., said, “While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product.” She continued, “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.”

As full FDA approval comes for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, the recent surge in COVID-19 cases poses questions about the need for booster vaccinations. While the FDA is not currently recommending booster vaccinations for all vaccinated individuals, they have recommended additional booster doses for certain groups. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced plans to offer booster doses later this fall.

Who needs an additional COVID-19 vaccine?
Currently, the CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional vaccine dose to help boost immune response. This includes people who have:

  • Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood.
  • Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
  • Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
  • Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
  • Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
  • Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response.

Talk to your health care provider about any potential medical conditions that may apply to determine whether getting an additional booster dose is appropriate for you.

Ask how Mercy Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine can support your employees with COVID-19 vaccinations, testing or other workplace services.

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The 411 on Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases

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From the September Mercy Occupational Medicine eNewsletter

With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases — and specific concern over breakthrough cases involving fully vaccinated individuals, employers may have questions regarding what can be done to help keep their employees as safe as possible at work.

What exactly is a “breakthrough” COVID-19 infection?
When a fully vaccinated person tests positive for COVID-19, it is referred to as a “breakthrough infection.” To be considered a breakthrough case, the infection must occur more than 14 days after all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. While symptomatic infections are the primary concern, asymptomatic infections can occur as well.

Breakthrough cases are normal and expected
COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at preventing infection, serious illness, and death, and unvaccinated people account for the vast majority of current COVID-19 cases. However, since no vaccine is 100% effective at preventing infection, some fully vaccinated people will still get COVID-19. Some may even have severe reactions. That said, the vaccines significantly reduce the likelihood of hospitalization and death in the rare event a breakthrough case does occur. The best way to prevent infection and slow the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

Delta and other variants
COVID-19’s delta variant is more contagious than previous mutations of the virus. However, studies indicate that the vaccines authorized in the U.S. work well against the delta variant, particularly in preventing severe disease and hospitalization. Of course, with more infections overall due to higher transmissibility, there will also be more breakthrough infections — but the risk of infection, hospitalization, and death are all much lower in vaccinated people compared to the unvaccinated.

What can employers do to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 in their workforce?

  • Encourage employees to become vaccinated. Vaccines are safe, effective and work well at preventing severe disease.
  • Arrange work areas to allow for physical distancing, if possible.
  • If employees cannot physically distance or work in high-traffic areas, encourage the use of masks even for those who are fully vaccinated.
  • Employees who have been in contact with infected persons or who develop symptoms should be tested and limit their exposure to others.
  • Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Regularly clean and disinfect commonly touched work surfaces.
  • Continue to encourage thorough and frequent hand-washing.
  • Remind employees to monitor their well-being daily and watch for changes in health, such as an unusual feeling of fatigue or shortness of breath, developing a fever or cough, and loss of taste or smell.

Employers are encouraged to be vigilant in their efforts to keep COVID-19 at bay. Mercy Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine can help support workplace efforts to reduce COVID-19 exposure with vaccination programs, testing, and workplace evaluations. Please contact Jeff Howell at jhowell@mercyurgentcare.org for a consultation or to set up workplace services.

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Workplace Reopening Guidelines

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From the July Mercy Occupational Medicine eNewsletter

As more employers return to a fully staffed, pre-pandemic workforce, there are guidelines that may be helpful as companies fully open to their employees and the public. And with a new surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the U.S., it’s as important as ever that companies take precautions to keep their employees and customer base as safe as possible. Below are some guidelines designed to help companies maintain a safe environment for their workforce and customers.

1. Health Monitoring
Monitoring your employees’ health and wellness is a critical step in the return to normal business operations. Consider policies that will help employees remain home during illness, like paid time off or remote work duties, if possible. There should be systems in place to detect and monitor employee health concerns.

Temperature monitoring stations, masking protocols, proper respiratory etiquette, regular sanitation and a robust reporting system are all requisite precautions in a post-COVID workplace. Vaccinations should be offered to workers, and providing paid time off or onsite vaccinations is a great way to increase vaccine rates among your staff.

2. Safety Refreshers
OSHA recommends employers create a refresher program for returning workers on new or overhauled safety and health procedures. It should focus on protocols that may have been overlooked or deferred during a partial or full shutdown, while also incorporating more common safety policies that employees may have forgotten while away. Machine operating procedures, safety requirements, preparation guidelines, equipment use, etc., should all be covered in a refresher program. Some organizations may also need to cover workplace exposure or hazard concerns, including those that may have cropped up during the shutdown because of neglect or inactivity.

OSHA recommends employers revisit and update standard operating procedures, as exposure to hazards may increase during startup and shutdown periods. It is important for employers to review and address safety as part of their overall reopening efforts.

3. Physical Distancing and Limited Capacity
OSHA recommends limiting capacity for both workers and customers to accommodate for physical distancing, where possible. This remains one of the best ways to prevent or mitigate the spread of the virus. Signage reminding workers, customers, and visitors to maintain at least six feet between one another is a great way to keep this in mind.

4. Open Communication
Ensure workers understand their right to a safe and healthy work environment, and be sure they know who to contact with questions or concerns about workplace safety. By law, employees have the right to raise concerns about health and safety conditions without fear of retaliation. Companies should maintain proper communication channels so employees can report health-related concerns or suggestions in a timely manner.

5. Proper Planning
Proper planning will be key to a successful reopening of any business. Employees may feel added stress, fatigue or mental conditions like depression as a result of the ongoing pandemic and returning to the workplace. Employers should plan for these additional workplace concerns, allowing employees additional time or resources to fully acclimate to normal operations.

Employers should be mindful and empathetic, but most importantly, there should be clear guidelines in place to help employees as they return to work. OSHA suggests employers carefully plan for worker safety and acclimation before attempting to increase production to pre-pandemic levels.

These guidelines should be used as part of a comprehensive plan by employers to fully reopen their businesses. Employers should carefully evaluate their reopening procedures based on their specific situations and assessment of risk in their workplace. This will ensure that employees (and customers) are as safe as possible when returning to a place of business.

Ask how Mercy can support your company’s return-to-work efforts with Safe & Well onsite services

Source: OSHA.gov, CDC.gov

Vaccine Hesitancy in the Workforce

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From the June Mercy Occupational Medicine eNewsletter

It may seem counterintuitive for Americans to have concerns about getting vaccinated for COVID-19, a disease that has killed millions worldwide. After all, more than 300 million doses have been distributed as of June 2021, with more than 139 million Americans now fully vaccinated. But vaccine hesitancy in Americans is a real concern for some employers and can affect the productivity, and even overall efficiency, of their workforce.

There is no single factor keeping American workers from getting vaccinated. However, two common reasons have surfaced: First, significant concerns about vaccination, safety and efficacy. And, second, barriers to obtaining vaccines—working long hours, a lack of transportation, or worries about side effects. So what can employers do? Below are some suggestions.

Establish trust, both in the vaccine and in you as their employer. Build trust by transparently and frequently communicating about the vaccine, including organizational policies about vaccination and vaccination rates within your facility.

Remove barriers to make it easy for your staff to find and access vaccines, and consider hosting vaccine drives so that employees can access them conveniently.

Make time to listen and create lots of opportunities for employees to get their questions answered by trusted, local experts. One-on-one conversations between managers and staff who have already gotten vaccinated, and those who are still deciding, are one of the most effective tools available in the vaccination effort.

Offer meaningful incentives like paid time off to get vaccinated and to allow employees to recover from short-term side effects.

Activate trusted messengers who may not be part of your organization’s management or leadership. These can be medical experts, co-workers who have received the vaccines, or even local celebrities who foster trust in the community.

Use effective messages like “more and more employees here are choosing to get the vaccine,” or cite critical milestones for those who want to wait and see, like the fact that more than 139 million Americans are fully vaccinated.

Celebrate as a community, but address fears at the individual level. Remember, reasons employees are hesitant to take the vaccine can be as different and varied as the employees themselves. Take time to answer employees’ concerns on a personal level.

Employers should work to develop strategies and messages for their employees that rely on understanding people’s identities, moral values, and worldviews. How we see the world influences our perception of truth and authenticity. Our identities affect whom we trust, and our moral values affect how we interact with authority. These are key factors in talking with employees and working to affect change in hesitancy rates.

Mercy Urgent Care can assist you in having these types of conversations with your employees and can host provider-led Q&A sessions regarding the efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. Contact Jeff Howell, Business Development Manager, to discuss how Mercy can help with vaccination efforts at your business: jhowell@mercyurgentcare.org or 828-337-7675.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Invest in Trust: A guide for Building COVID-19 Vaccine Trust

New OSHA Requirements for COVID-19 Plans

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From the June Mercy Occupational Medicine eNewsletter

OSHA will now require healthcare employers with more than 10 employees to have written COVID-19 plans. This is an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) and requires compliance with most provisions within 14 days after OSHA publication.

The requirements are designed to protect workers facing the highest COVID-19 hazards: those working in healthcare settings where suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients are treated. This includes employees in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities; emergency responders; home healthcare workers; and employees in ambulatory care facilities where suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients are treated. While required only for those professions listed above, all employers should consider creating a COVID-19 plan.

Mitigating COVID-19 in the workplace requires employers to use multiple overlapping controls in a layered approach to better protect workers. The key requirements of the ETS are:

  • COVID-19 plan: Develop and implement a COVID-19 plan (in writing if more than 10 employees).
  • Patient screening and management: Limit and monitor points of entry to settings where direct patient care is provided.
  • Standard and Transmission-Based Precautions: Develop and implement policies and procedures to adhere to Standard and Transmission-Based precautions based on CDC guidelines.
  • Vaccination: Provide reasonable time and paid leave for vaccinations and vaccine side effects.
  • Training: Ensure all employees receive training so they comprehend COVID-19 transmission, tasks and situations in the workplace that could result in infection, and relevant policies and procedures.
  • Anti-Retaliation: Inform employees of their rights to the protections required by the standard and do not discharge or in any manner discriminate against employees for exercising their rights under the ETS or for engaging in actions required by the standard.
  • Requirements must be implemented at no cost to employees.
  • Recordkeeping: Establish a COVID-19 log (if more than 10 employees) of all employee instances of COVID-19 without regard to occupational exposure, and follow requirements for making records available to employees/representatives.
  • Report work-related COVID-19 fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations to OSHA.

More information on this new regulation from OSHA can be found at https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA4122.pdf. OR: Read OSHA’s COVID-19 Healthcare ETS Fact Sheet

Ask how Mercy Urgent Care can assist your business in developing a COVID-19 plan or in checking compliance with these new OSHA regulations.