RICHLAND, Wash. – Each year, the Hanford Site occupational medical services contractor provides influenza, or flu, immunizations for contractor and EM employees at more than a dozen clinics in buildings around the 580-square-mile site.
However, this year the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to those traditional worksite flu clinics organized by HPMC Occupational Medical Services.
Medical staff quickly reimagined how to safely provide flu vaccines within COVID-19 safety protocols as use of large conference rooms, with employees lining up in hallways, was not an option.
Instead, the staff conducted drive-up flu clinics at several centrally-located parking lots, giving 2,085 flu shots from Oct. 13 through Nov. 11. Workers can still get a flu shot in the medical clinics through early spring.
Workers stayed in their vehicles at the drive-up clinics, and medical workers adhered to physical distancing safety limits while administering the vaccines.
“The necessity to change the way things normally operate has been a theme for 2020, and the worksite flu clinics were no exception,” said Bessie Ang, director of HPMC nursing services. “With the teamwork and collaboration of the staff and other Hanford contractors, the campaign was successful in helping to protect the health and well-being of the Hanford workforce.”
HPMC noted several lessons learned from the drive-up flu clinics. Challenges included traffic control and weather. Fall in Eastern Washington means unpredictable temperatures and wind. High winds caused two clinics to close early to keep staff, workers, supplies, and materials safe.