Respiratory Virus Information for Patients

At Fred Hutch Cancer Center, your health and well-being are our top priorities. We have thorough safety measures in place to protect you, your caregivers and our staff.

Annual Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines

Fred Hutch will not be offering COVID-19 vaccines to caregivers and family at any of our locations. Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are also available at many local pharmacies. Please talk to your care team if you have any questions.
 

Fred Hutch – South Lake Union

Patient Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines

Beginning September 30, 2024, flu and COVID-19 vaccines will be available for patients at most Fred Hutch clinic locations. Patients will be offered both vaccines at their first visit on or after September 30, 2024. Vaccines will be available until March 31, 2025.

Caregiver and Family Member Flu Vaccines

From September 30, 2024 – November 8, 2024, at our South Lake Union clinic, a caregiver and family vaccine station will be near the corridor between Building 1 and Building 2. This vaccine station will be open from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Monday – Friday.

After 2 p.m. caregivers and family can visit the Alliance Lab on Floor 1 of Building 1 to receive their flu vaccine.

Caregivers who get their flu vaccine after November 8 will also need to visit the Alliance Lab.

Fred Hutch – Community Sites

Patient Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines

Flu vaccines will not be offered for patients at Fred Hutch – Proton Therapy.

COVID-19 vaccines will not be offered for patients at Fred Hutch – Proton Therapy or radiation oncology patients at Fred Hutch – Peninsula.

Caregiver and Family Member Flu Vaccines

Fred Hutch Cancer Center – Issaquah, Peninsula and UW Medical Center – Northwest sites will offer family and caregiver vaccines at their patient’s appointment(s).

Fred Hutch at Overlake Cancer Center and Fred Hutch at EvergreenHealth will not be offering caregiver and family flu vaccines.

What to Know Before Your Appointment

Masks

It is strongly recommended, but not required that all people who enter Fred Hutch clinics, including staff, patients, family members, caregivers and others, wear medical grade masks, such as surgical, KN95 and N95 masks. Surgical masks are available at the front door if you would like one.

Masks are required in certain situations:

  • Patients with symptoms of a respiratory virus, including coughing, sneezing, sniffling, are required to wear a mask during their visit to Fred Hutch.
  • Patients with confirmed respiratory infections.

Visitors

  • Fred Hutch patients are encouraged to bring only one visitor to their appointments.  
    • If you would like more than one person to join you, please consider calling them during your appointment so they can participate that way. There are phones in clinic rooms if you need one. 
  • Visitors with respiratory virus symptoms are not allowed in our clinics. 
  • We encourage any visitors who come to the clinic to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Call Ahead Before Coming to Your Appointment If You:

  • Recently tested positive for COVID-19 (either from a laboratory or a home test)
  • Have any respiratory virus symptoms — even if mild
  • Were exposed to someone with COVID-19
  • Have someone in your household with COVID-19

Calling ahead is an important step in keeping everyone safe. If you come to the clinic without calling us for any of the reasons above, we may reschedule your appointment, treatment or procedure or move you to a telehealth visit. 

Continue to Stay Safe By:

  • Wearing your mask 
  • Getting vaccinated
  • Encouraging your family members, friends and close contacts to get vaccinated
  • Avoiding crowds and indoor gatherings with people outside of your household
  • When you spend time in groups, keeping your groups small and asking that everyone is symptom-free, and up to date on their vaccinates
  • Increase ventilation by naturally improving the air in your home

COVID-19 Vaccines

For updated COVID-19 vaccine information, visit cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/stay-up-to-date

To get the vaccine in your community: 

  • Visit vaccines.gov  
  • Text your zip code to 438.829 (GET VAX) or 822.862 (VACUNA)  
  • Contact your local pharmacy

Learn more about additional COVID-19 resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Vaccines

Yes. The CDC has indicated that it is safe and effective to get the flu and COVID vaccines at the same time. It is recommended that one be given in each arm.

Immune responses wane over time after vaccination. The circulating  variants require higher levels of antibody to protect against major complications of COVID-19. Receiving an annual COVID-19 vaccines helps to improve antibody levels and have been shown to be more effective at preventing hospitalization and death due to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

General COVID-19

According to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Medical Director of Infection Prevention, Dr. Steven Pergam, patients with blood malignancies (non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and multiple myeloma) and those who have received bone marrow transplants are most vulnerable because they have the most profound immune deficits.

Patients who are in active treatment for any type of cancer are also at risk. Please see the CDC's webpage on COVID-19 and cancer for more information

Patients who are not in active treatment should also be cautious and follow widely distributed public health guidelines that are detailed below under “What can I do to keep myself, my family and friends safe?”

Paxlovid is a medicine given to treat people with COVID-19 . It is used to reduce the risk of being hospitalized or dying in people who are at high risk. Paxlovid is a combination of antivirals called nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. It is not a substitute for getting vaccinated and boosted.

To be eligible for Paxlovid, you must be at least 12 years old.

If you have symptoms that could be from COVID-19, get tested as soon as possible. Paxlovid may be an option for you and works best when started early.

If you think you might be eligible, talk with your care team or your primary care provider. 

There may be some drug interactions that need to be reviewed prior to prescribing Paxlovid.

Symptoms

COVID-19 symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Chest tightness
  • Sore throat
  • Stuffy nose/congestion or runny nose
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • New onset of diarrhea
  • Muscle aches and pains
  • If you have an appointment scheduled and have COVID-19 symptoms, please call your care team before coming to the clinic.
  • Knowing about symptoms before you come into the clinic helps us keep everyone safe.

COVID-19 and the Flu

The flu, RSV and COVID-19 are all contagious illnesses, but they are caused by different respiratory viruses. The flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2) RSV is caused by respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus. It may be hard to tell the difference between the flu, RSV and COVID-19 from symptoms alone because some of the symptoms are similar. You should get tested to help confirm a diagnosis.

Keeping You Safe

Fred Hutch is taking the following steps:

  • We will screen for respiratory virus symptoms when you check in for your appointment.
  • Masking is strongly recommended for patients and their caregivers. If patients or caregivers have respiratory symptoms, they must wear a mask.
  • Masking is strongly recommended for health care workers.
  • Scheduling telehealth appointments for patients when possible.

Increasing the frequency of cleaning high-touch surfaces such as door handles and elevator buttons.

The most important steps to take are:

  • Get vaccinated according to the CDC.
  • Avoid going to gatherings with large numbers of people; stay home when you are sick.
  • Wear a mask when you are out in public in crowded, indoor spaces.
  • Wear a mask when in a health care setting, including Fred Hutch clinics.
  • Practice good hand hygiene and healthy habits when coughing and sneezing. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Plan how you will take care of sick family members. Make plans for childcare if you are sick or if your child is sick. Have a thermometer at home so you can check for fever if you or a loved one feels ill.
  • Stay informed – check the CDC site regularly for the latest updates.

Screening and Testing

Tell your care team immediately – it is best to inform them before you visit the clinic. They will let you know what options are available for your visit. 

Patients with symptoms will be given a procedure mask and evaluated during their appointment.

Learn when to self-test at home from King County Public Health’s COVID-19 self-testing webpage. 

If you are a Fred Hutch patient with symptoms and think you need to be tested for COVID-19, please complete a home test or seek out a community testing option.

You can also call your care team, and they can help you find the best option. 

 Antigen tests provide rapid results — typically in less than 30 minutes. Although they are less accurate than PCR tests, at-home antigen tests can be a helpful measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Find a COVID-19 testing site from the Washington State Department of Health.

In addition to knowing which guidelines to follow, testing is important because many of the current treatment options for cancer patients, such as antiviral pills, require a test before you can get them. As a reminder, if you have cold or flu symptoms, tell your care team — even if you test negative for COVID-19. They may want to change your treatment schedule or conduct further testing.

If you took a test because you have symptoms or because you have been exposed but don’t have symptoms, here’s what to do.

  • You tested negative: Contact your care team to get a PCR test to confirm your result.
  • You tested positive: You have COVID-19. Notify your care team. Isolate at home. Do not seek further testing unless directed by your team. 
  • Tell your care team immediately. They will discuss any changes in your treatment and COVID-19 treatment options available to you.
  • Tell your care team before your visit so they can advise you about the best time to come for your visit or if they want you to get additional testing.

Masks

Patients and Caregivers:
Unless they have respiratory symptoms, masking is recommended for patients and their caregivers. Masking continues to be strongly recommended for patients, caregivers and visitors when in clinic, especially during encounters with health care workers and when in crowded waiting areas.

Health Care Workers:
Masks are strongly recommended for health care workers.

In Washington state, masks are no longer required in most public places. However, health care facilities and businesses may choose to continue requiring masks.

In Washington state, masks are no longer required in most public places. However, health care facilities and businesses may choose to continue requiring masks. 

Masks are still a good way to help limit the spread of COVID-19. CDC continues to recommend masks in some settings and for some people. CDC recommends masks for people who are at high risk for getting very sick from COVID-19, including people with cancer, if the level of COVID-19 in their community is medium or high. Learn more on the CDC website. 

Daily Activities and Going Out

Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 are thought to be less likely to develop repeat COVID-19 infections for ~ 3 months after these infections. However, neither vaccination nor prior infection can prevent COVID-19 infection/re-infection, particularly if you are immunosuppressed or receiving cancer treatment.

If you are a cancer patient, we recommend you remain cautious, even if you are fully vaccinated or have previously had COVID-19. Extra caution is important for those who:

  • Have not yet started treatment
  • Are in active treatment
  • Have recently completed treatment
  • Have weakened immune systems, for example, blood and marrow transplant patients

Although you may hear that others are gathering, people with cancer are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and other important respiratory viral pathogens (e.g., Flu), so remain cautious when gathering in large groups or crowds. Those who are fully vaccinated or have had prior COVID-19 but have cancer should continue to:

  • Wear a well-fitted mask and practice physical distancing when in public, particularly when indoors.
  • Remain cautious about large in-person gatherings with those outside your household.
  • When interacting with those outside your household, wear a mask, consider outdoor get togethers, limit large community exposures and follow other prevention measures.
  • Limit travel and if necessary, wear well fitted masks during travel  
  • Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Perform regular hand hygiene.

Additional Resources

How Caregivers Can Help

A healthy blood supply is vital to cancer treatment. If you are healthy and able, please consider donating blood or spreading the word about our current need. Find out more about donating blood at Bloodworks Northwest.

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