Frequently Asked Questions

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Contact tracing is not required.  However, it is a good idea to continue to be alert for influenza-like illness in all our clients throughout the influenza season.

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Contact tracing is not required.  However, it is a good idea to continue to be alert for influenza-like illness in all our clients throughout the influenza season.

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There is no need for the staff member to stay off work.  It is recommended to self-monitor for any symptoms.

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Yes, all health care workers are eligible for free seasonal and H1N1 influenza immunizations this year. The flu clinic schedules will be posted on the Fraser Health website. 

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By getting the seasonal and H1N1 influenza vaccinations you protect yourself and those around you. Our bodies can carry the flu virus for 1-3 days before we feel sick so it is possible to infect others without showing symptoms of influenza. Influenza can lead to serious complications and even death for people in high risk groups.

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Both seasonal and H1N1 vaccines will be available for staff during this year’s immunization campaign. Timing recommendations for seasonal and H1N1 vaccination are pending and more information will be provided as soon as available. We do not know yet when H1N1 vaccine will be available. Clinic schedules may need to be adjusted when the H1N1 vaccine schedule is confirmed. Workplace Health will continue to offer both influenza vaccines along with all of the other recommended occupational health vaccines (e.g. MMR, Hepatitis B, Tetanus/Diphtheria, Polio, Chickenpox) at staff immunization clinics from mid-October, 2009 to February 2010. Watch for these upcoming flu clinic schedules, including those for contracted facility staff, to be posted on Fraser Health’s website.

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Yes, Fraser Health plans to provide the public who meet specific criteria with vaccinations to protect them against the regular seasonal and H1N1 influenza this winter. The list of criteria will be available this fall.

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H1N1 is just the flu. It is a different strain of flu which has not circulated in the population since 1957. People born before 1957 (over 52 years) have higher levels of protection from H1N1 since they may have already been exposed to the virus and their bodies have created antibodies to protect it. Epidemiologists studied this year’s H1N1 outbreak and confirmed that people born after 1957 (under 57 years) have no immunity to H1N1 and therefore need to be vaccinated for H1N1.

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Staff are encouraged to take personal responsibility for receiving their flu shot to protect their own health and those in their care. In the event of an influenza outbreak in a Fraser Health care facility, employees who are not immunized and who are unwilling to take antiviral medication, are subject to exclusion from work. Exclusion will be with pay if there are documented medical contraindications to influenza immunization and/or antiviral medication (if indicated). For further information please refer to the Employee and Physician Immunization Policy on the FH intranet (available to employees only logged onto the Fraser Health network)

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There will be many opportunities over the next several months to visit a staff immunization clinic convenient to your work or home. We hope that staff will use this opportunity to update all of the recommended immunizations. FH staff can also get their influenza vaccinations at any FH facility flu clinic or at a public flu clinic. Visit www.fraserhealth.ca to locate a flu clinic in your community. If you get your immunization from public clinics, you must provide documentation of the d/m/y of the vaccinations to your manager who will forward this on to Workplace Health so that your occupational health record will be updated.

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Staff working in smaller community sites may have some difficulty accessing acute sites for their flu shot. This year several licensed Fraser Health RNs have volunteered to  provide influenza immunizations to interested colleagues in their own work group site within Residential, Health Promotion and Prevention, Home Health and Mental Health and Addictions, during the nurse’s regular work hours. If you are interested in participating as a Peer Nurse Immunizer, please speak to your manager.

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You can be infected with influenza and infect others without having symptoms of influenza. Choose to protect your family and your clients, patients and/or residents by getting the flu shot.

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Fraser Health’s employee immunization clinics will offer influenza vaccine for at least four months starting October 19. Visit www.fraserhealth.ca to locate clinic times near you.

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Watch for additional vaccination clinics which will be added to our regularly scheduled drop-in flu clinics at all acute sites over the four month period starting October 19. These clinics will help staff to catch up on outstanding vaccinations such as Hepatitis B, MMR, Polio, and Tetanus/diphtheria in addition to flu. It’s your gateway to have your immunity status assessed by an Occupational Health Nurse.

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The influenza vaccine cannot give you influenza. The influenza vaccine contains dead influenza viruses that cannot cause infection.

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The influenza vaccine is very safe. Most people experience no symptoms after getting the influenza vaccine other than redness or soreness where the needle was given. Some people, especially those getting the shot for the first time, experience some immune response symptoms from their body producing the antibodies to protect it against influenza.

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Please review the influenza H1N1 information for health professionals at www.FraserHealth.ca for further details on influenza H1N1. Additionally, our immunization policy is available on the intranet (available only to employees logged onto the Fraser Health network)

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If you have additional questions, please speak with your supervisor, manager or clinical leader. You can also call the Workplace Health Call Centre at 1-866-922-9464 to speak with an occupational health nurse. Employees of contracted agencies can contact DOC or their manager.

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Yes. If you are well and not exhibiting symptoms, you should report for work as usual.

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Symptoms are similar to the symptoms of common human seasonal influenza and can include fever, cough, headache, general aches, fatigue, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

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If you have symptoms, you should follow your usual sick call-in procedure, stay home and limit contactwith others. Treat mild symptoms as you normally would with rest, fluids and acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol). Wash your hands often.

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If your symptoms worsen, call ahead to your physician or walk-in clinic to arrange to be seen. Unless you have serious illness, there is no need to be seen in Emergency.

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Only individuals with serious illness need to have a swab taken.

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You need to stay off work for 7 days from the onset of symptoms or until your symptoms are resolved, whichever is SOONER.

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No, follow up with health professionals in contact with ill patients is not recommended.

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No, antiviral medication is not recommended for prophylaxis of asymptomatic contacts. Monitor yourself for flu symptoms. If you become ill, you need to stay off work for 7 days from the onset of symptoms or until your symptoms are resolved, whichever is SOONER.

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Yes. You can work with these patients/residents/clients as these conditions do not put you at any increased risk of exposure to Influenza A H1N1 (human swine flu) as long as you follow established infection control practices. However, if you develop symptoms that could be due to influenza, it is important that you talk to your physician as soon as symptoms develop.

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If you are within two (2) metres of the ill person, wear a procedure mask and protective eyewear. Instruct the patient to wash their hands/use alcohol hand sanitizer frequently.

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No. A procedure mask and protective eyewear are recommended for all routine care and collection of nasal or nasal-pharyngeal swabs.

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No. A procedure mask and protective eyewear are recommended for all routine care regardless of the strength of the patient’s cough or ability to perform respiratory etiquette.

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Wear an N95 respirator mask and protective eyewear if you are in the room during an aerosol-generating medical procedure. The number of individuals in the room should be limited to only those necessary.

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Any procedure carried out on a patient that can induce the production of aerosols of various sizes, including droplet nuclei. Examples include: non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, endotracheal intubation, respiratory/airway suctioning, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, tracheostomy care, chest physiotherapy, aerosolized or nebulized medication administration, diagnostic sputum induction, bronchoscopy procedure, or autopsy of lung tissue.

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The length of time an N95 can be worn varies. If at any point the N95 becomes wet, soiled, damaged, or interferes with breathing, exit the area and following proper infection control protocols, remove the N95 and replace with a new one. Even if the N95 is not wet, soiled or damaged, after four (4) hours of continuous use, exit the area and following proper infection control protocols, remove the N95 and replace with a new one. The N95 respirator/mask should be discarded after each patient/resident/client interaction.

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The PAPR units are intended to be used when you have failed fit-test on all N95 models and/or other half or full-face respirators.

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As per Routine Practices all staff shall wear long-sleeved gowns or moisture-resistant aprons when it is likely that clothing may be soiled with body substances. Gowns are single-use and must be changed between patients.

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Annual fit-testing is still required. You will need to attend one of the regularly scheduled fit-testing sessions.

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No. As long as you have no flu symptoms, there are no restrictions on where you can work.

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No. You can use whatever procedure mask your unit normally stocks.