Your Questions Answered
Question: Do I need to get a flu vaccine if I work remotely?
Answer: No. You are not required to get a flu vaccine if you solely work remotely, but it is highly encouraged. However, if your job requires you to go to a UC San Diego worksite for any reason or duration, you must first meet the requirements of the
UC Policy on Vaccination Programs by documenting you have received a flu vaccine or are declining to receive the flu vaccine (in which case you will need to mask for the duration of the flu season). For more information,
view the FAQs in the Policy on Vaccination Programs.
Question: Why do I need a flu vaccine every year?
Answer: A flu vaccine is needed every year for two reasons. First, a person’s immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual flu vaccine is needed for optimal protection. Second, because flu viruses are constantly changing, the composition of flu vaccines is reviewed annually, and vaccines are updated to protect against the viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming flu season. For the best protection, everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated annually.
Learn more about the flu vaccine from the CDC.
Question: What are the benefits of flu vaccination?
- Can keep you from getting sick with flu.
- Has been shown to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick.
- Can reduce the risk of flu-associated hospitalization.
- Serves as an important preventive tool for people with certain chronic health conditions.
- Flu vaccination during pregnancy helps protect pregnant people from flu during and after pregnancy and helps protect their infants from flu in their first few months of life.
- Flu vaccine can be lifesaving in children.
- Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions.