The 2017-2018 flu season was one of the most severe in recent history—and employers were faced with difficult challenges related to lost workdays and low productivity as a result of sick employees. That's why it's more important than ever to take steps now to prepare and protect your workforce for the upcoming flu season. And while there are simple, personal health practices employers can advocate to help keep employees healthy, getting an annual flu shot is still the most effective way to protect against the virus.

Employees miss an average of five workdays per year due to the flu, at a cost of about $200 per person for each lost day. That means for a workforce of 250 employees, the flu season could cost $250,000 in missed workdays every year. And with between 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations from the flu each year, adopting preventative steps to cut your company's exposure is vitally important for your employees' health and your bottom line.

There are many convenient options for preventing flu in the workplace, including on-site flu shot clinics. Some companies offer this option as part of a worksite wellness program in which they administer flu shots and provide educational materials – and these clinics have been proven to work. In fact, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on-site flu shots have been shown to increase productivity and decrease absenteeism in the workplace.

Business leaders can help employees stay healthy this flu season by understanding the roadblocks that often prevent their workforce from getting an annual flu shot – and how on-site flu shot clinics can help make it easy for employees to get vaccinated. As a physician, here are just a few of the roadblocks some of my patients have cited:

1. Time

Many people struggle to find enough time in the day to go to work, cook meals, visit the gym, and spend time with family or friends – let alone make an extra stop on the way home in traffic to get a flu shot. On-site flu shot clinics take the time and stress out of getting vaccinated. The clinics make it easy for employees to stop by during a lunch break or before or after work to get their annual flu shot. Plus, employees can feel good knowing that they are encouraged to get a flu shot during company hours. It's also a great way to help employees get vaccinated early in the season. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become effective, so getting the vaccine before the end of October is typically recommended.

2. Education

Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths about the flu shot, including that the flu shot will make you sick, that it's ineffective, and more. The fact of the matter is that these misconceptions simply aren't true. For example, the flu shot cannot make you sick because the viruses used in the vaccine are inactive. However, many people mistake minor side effects associated with the vaccine, like soreness, achiness, headache, or low-grade fever, as the flu itself. Also, while the effectiveness of the flu shot varies each year depending on the circulating flu strains, it's still important to get vaccinated. The vaccine provides an added layer of protection that wouldn't otherwise be possible. In fact, it can actually help reduce the severity of flu symptoms if an employee does get the flu – which means they're able to get back on their feet (and back to work) faster.

To help employees understand fact from fiction when it comes to flu shots, many companies also offer educational materials and healthy handouts as part of an on-site flu shot clinic.

3. Cost

While many insurance providers cover the cost, some people may be concerned that they will have to pay out of pocket for a flu shot – and often side-step getting vaccinated to avoid added healthcare costs. However, many on-site flu shot clinics are offered at no or low cost to employees.

Are you prepared for flu season?

Reed A. Erickson, MD, MBA, CPS/A, MedExpress, as a medical leader of our Employer Health Services, is an expert in the area of workplace health, especially DOT/FMCSA medical certifications and guidelines.

Instant Insights /

On-site flu shots can help employers kick off a healthy flu season

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