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San Francisco scales flu vaccination: city and Health Network plan pop-up clinics, outreach to high-need neighborhoods
Summary
Public-health presenters described a citywide influenza campaign embedded in the COVID command structure, with partner clinics, pop-up sites co-located with COVID testing, targeted outreach to shelters and equity-focused messaging to address disparities.
Julie Stolte, Director of Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention, and Health Network leaders told the Health Commission that flu vaccination this year is being coordinated closely with the city’s COVID command center to reduce influenza burden while COVID-19 circulates.
"Flu vaccination is of heightened importance given the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic," Stolte said, outlining six strategies: coordinate with health systems and pharmacies; monitor supply and distribution; ensure public engagement; develop clinician guidance; stand up community clinics; and ensure sustainable staffing.
Stolte said the department surveyed 93 partner vaccination sites and found most intend to vaccinate as many or more people as last year, and that the city has been standing up community flu clinics (including pop-up clinics at alternative testing sites) to reach people without a medical home. She also noted a San Francisco health officer order requiring influenza vaccination for health-care workers in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.
Network presenters described operational steps: using Epic to document and report vaccinations, QR-enabled consent forms at Zuckerberg San Francisco General to speed staff uptake, weekend clinics, and pop-up sites at COVID testing locations. As of late October, the network reported early staff vaccination rates near 76–77% at major facilities and more than 1,000 vaccinations at pop-up clinics, with roughly 34% of pop-up recipients reporting no primary care medical home.
Speakers also flagged equity gaps: preliminary data show lower vaccination documentation or uptake in Black/African American populations. The network said it will deploy targeted outreach, patient advisors and standardized messages to address myths and improve acceptance.
Commissioners and public commenters urged stronger outreach to schools, parents and youth sports programs; the department said templates had been provided to San Francisco Unified School District and that the department would follow up on communication strategies and multilingual access.
The Health Network emphasized that lessons from flu vaccination — inventory tracking, staffing models and pop-up operations — will inform future COVID-19 vaccination planning.
