Why Workplace Flu Clinics Make Good Business Sense
Did you know that each year as many as 65 million Americans come down with the flu and more than 200,000 get sick enough to require hospitalization? Annual influenza vaccines are the single best way to help prevent this serious disease, yet each year thousands of people avoid getting immunized. Common excuses include not knowing where to get flu shots, the inconvenience (not wanting to take off work), or that they are too expensive.
One solution that may offer promise is increasing the availability of workplace flu clinics. For one thing, offering a clinic in the workplace makes it easy for working adults to get immunized, without worrying about lost wages. It may also be smart from a strategic standpoint; according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the seasonal flu claims approximately 36,000 lives each year, and new studies show that vaccinating working adults and school age children can help protect those for whom flu poses the greatest risk - infants, seniors and those with compromised immune systems. Healthy adults are encouraged to get vaccinated so that they don't inadvertently become spreaders.
Employers have good reason to make company-wide flu shots a priority this year. With so much talk about pandemic preparedness, protecting employees and their families makes good business sense for many reasons. For one thing, employee immunization can reduce absenteeism which is an issue during any flu outbreak. But another issue that has come to the forefront for employers is called "presenteesim." Presenteeism occurs when employees come to work sick because they are fearful of lost wages or concerned about job security. As any HR manager can tell you, sick employees who come to work are less effective, more prone to mistakes, and in the case of the flu, highly likely to infect fellow employees, creating an even larger problem.
In answer to these concerns, VaxAmerica, a program of FFF Enterprises, the nation's largest and most trusted distributor of flu vaccine, has simplified the vaccination process, making it easy and cost-effective for employers to keep employees healthy and productive throughout the flu season
"Preventive vaccines substantially reduce both healthcare costs and productivity losses associated with flu outbreaks in the workplace," says Nancy Creadon, vice president, VaxAmerica, Inc. "We make scheduling a flu clinic easy and customizable, with the option of on-site, off-site or a combination of choices that fits each employers needs."
VaxAmerica is a nationwide network of care sites enabling the safe, easy and convenient administration of preventive vaccines-even those hard-to-get-to individuals or groups at a convenient location near to them. Known for its national reach and local touch, VaxAmerica has simplified the vaccination process to create cost-effective solutions for patients, healthcare providers and health plans.
Because of the recent H1N1 outbreak, flu is currently on the forefront of everyone's minds. For employers, now is an excellent time to plan a seasonal flu clinic, perhaps making an extra effort this season with posters, incentives and other communications to really get the word out. Remember, vaccination is still the best first line of defense against seasonal flu.
One solution that may offer promise is increasing the availability of workplace flu clinics. For one thing, offering a clinic in the workplace makes it easy for working adults to get immunized, without worrying about lost wages. It may also be smart from a strategic standpoint; according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the seasonal flu claims approximately 36,000 lives each year, and new studies show that vaccinating working adults and school age children can help protect those for whom flu poses the greatest risk - infants, seniors and those with compromised immune systems. Healthy adults are encouraged to get vaccinated so that they don't inadvertently become spreaders.
Employers have good reason to make company-wide flu shots a priority this year. With so much talk about pandemic preparedness, protecting employees and their families makes good business sense for many reasons. For one thing, employee immunization can reduce absenteeism which is an issue during any flu outbreak. But another issue that has come to the forefront for employers is called "presenteesim." Presenteeism occurs when employees come to work sick because they are fearful of lost wages or concerned about job security. As any HR manager can tell you, sick employees who come to work are less effective, more prone to mistakes, and in the case of the flu, highly likely to infect fellow employees, creating an even larger problem.
In answer to these concerns, VaxAmerica, a program of FFF Enterprises, the nation's largest and most trusted distributor of flu vaccine, has simplified the vaccination process, making it easy and cost-effective for employers to keep employees healthy and productive throughout the flu season
"Preventive vaccines substantially reduce both healthcare costs and productivity losses associated with flu outbreaks in the workplace," says Nancy Creadon, vice president, VaxAmerica, Inc. "We make scheduling a flu clinic easy and customizable, with the option of on-site, off-site or a combination of choices that fits each employers needs."
VaxAmerica is a nationwide network of care sites enabling the safe, easy and convenient administration of preventive vaccines-even those hard-to-get-to individuals or groups at a convenient location near to them. Known for its national reach and local touch, VaxAmerica has simplified the vaccination process to create cost-effective solutions for patients, healthcare providers and health plans.
Because of the recent H1N1 outbreak, flu is currently on the forefront of everyone's minds. For employers, now is an excellent time to plan a seasonal flu clinic, perhaps making an extra effort this season with posters, incentives and other communications to really get the word out. Remember, vaccination is still the best first line of defense against seasonal flu.