Dear UCSF Community,

As we head into influenza season, I am writing to emphasize that it is critically important to get a flu vaccine to avoid the risk of contracting the influenza virus.

We encourage everyone to be vaccinated to protect not only yourself and your family, but also our colleagues, our patients, and our neighboring communities. Please also remember to wear masks while indoors and when in crowded places outdoors, as well as to clean your hands regularly.

A normal flu season combined with a surge of COVID-19 could have an overwhelming impact on our health system, especially as we are experiencing a staffing shortage. We ask for your support by getting a flu vaccine to help keep our frontline care providers and all other faculty, staff, learners, and patients healthy this fall.

As a reminder, the San Francisco and Alameda Departments of Public Health require all health care workers to receive the annual influenza vaccine or to sign a form if they choose to decline vaccination.

You have a variety of options and locations available to get your vaccine, including on-site flu clinics, Occupational Health clinics, your primary care provider, and most pharmacies. Please visit the Occupational Health Services website for a full list of on-site clinic locations and dates, as well as additional free options for members of UC health plans. Please note that at this time, we...