VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Fraser Health says a looming flu shot deadline for health care workers is good timing.
    
Chief Medical Health Officer Paul Van Buynder says flu outbreaks have started to pop up in some nursing homes. “The flu has arrived and this is a very important patient safety initiative.”

Starting Saturday, health care workers who haven’t received a flu shot will be expected to wear a mask. Van Buynder says most full-time workers have received the immunization. “We’re running about, the last figure I saw, it’s always a little bit delayed, about 65 per cent of our full-time staff have had the influenza vaccine.”

The provincial Association of Registered Nurses has spoken in favor of making the flu shot mandatory for health care workers, while the BC Nurses’ Union opposes the policy.