Flu vaccine no longer required for health workers in California county after outcry

A new policy requiring health care workers in a Northern California county to receive a flu vaccine has been canceled after an outcry.

A 2013 Shasta County policy requiring health workers to either be vaccinated or wear a face mask at work remains in effect, health officials say in a news release.

Karen Ramstrom, county health officer, rescinded the order Thursday, the release says. The goal had been to help avert a feared “twindemic” of COVID-19 and influenza this winter.

“It’s a matter of maximizing our influenza vaccination and this year where we have, in addition to our normal respiratory viruses that can happen during flu season, we have COVID-19,” Ramstrom said Tuesday, The Record-Searchlight reported. “And the vaccination, on top of universal masking, is going to give us extra protection.”

But critics protested the order violated their right to make their own decisions on vaccinations at a Tuesday meeting of the county Board of Supervisors, according to the publication.

A protest had been planned Thursday at county health offices, KRCR reported.

“It is more important than ever for health care workers to get vaccinated against flu, and the supervisors recognize the importance of offering an alternative for the health care workers who decline vaccination,” said Mary Rickert, chairperson of the board of supervisors, in the release.

In 2019, 93% of Shasta County hospital workers received the flu vaccine, the release says.

California health officials advise that everyone be vaccinated against the flu this year to prevent overloading doctors and hospitals with COVID-19 and flu cases, The Sacramento Bee reported.

“It will be very difficult to distinguish, and hopefully we won’t see what we saw just months ago, which is overwhelming the nation’s laboratories because there are too many people seeking a test all at the same time,” said Dr. David Lubarsky of Sacramento’s UC Davis Health, according to the publication.