Getting a flu shot is more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, as both the flu virus and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 are expected to spread. The pandemic has also made the logistics of large-scale flu vaccination considerably more challenging. But these obstacles were no match for the dedication and collaboration of staff who led patient and employee flu clinics this fall — efforts that resulted in more than 18,000 flu vaccinations.

On the ambulatory side, a large multidisciplinary team — including staff in Ambulatory, Infection Control, Materials Management, Nursing, Partners eCare and Pharmacy — worked together to provide safe, efficient and convenient vaccination for more than 3,900 patients.

“We would like to thank everyone involved in this effort to provide flu vaccination to our patients during a very difficult time. We are extremely proud of the outcomes we achieved,” said Pam Cormier, MSN, RN, AHN-BC, professional development manager in Primary Care, and Marie Morisset, senior consultant in Strategy Implementation, who co-led the ambulatory flu shot program.

From September through November, Occupational Health Services hosted its annual series of flu shot clinics for staff while continuing to support staff with COVID-related concerns and responding to the needs of the organization during this time. The team was backed by nearly 500 Peer-to-Peer vaccinators — nurses and other clinical staff able to administer flu shots.

“A huge thank you to our OHS staff and Peer-to-Peer vaccinators, who did a phenomenal job making this year’s flu shot campaign a success in the face of unprecedented challenges,” said Diane Griesbach, RN, ANP-BC, of Occupational Health Services. “Together, they vaccinated over 14,000 staff to keep our patients, colleagues and community safe.”

Here are a few additional highlights from this year’s flu shot programs: