If staff flu vaccination is still on your November to-do list, there is still time to get a programme underway with Doctorcall Flu Vaccination Vouchers. Perhaps other priorities took over, budgets needed approval or you were unsure how to offer something that would work across your team.
You may also have already offered vaccination, but still have colleagues who missed the opportunity.
Doctorcall Flu Vaccination Vouchers give employees access to vaccination through thousands of participating pharmacies across the UK and Ireland. With online ordering, flexible voucher options and new features to help you control activation and share administration, arranging the benefit can be straightforward.
Is November Too Late to Offer Staff Flu Vaccination?
No. Missing an earlier planning window does not mean employers should abandon flu vaccination for the season. The NHS advises getting vaccinated as soon as possible to help protect yourself during winter.
Allow time for protection to develop. NHS flu vaccination guidance explains that the vaccine usually takes up to 14 days to work. Ireland’s HSE guidance similarly states that it starts to work after about two weeks.
For employers, the practical question is how to make vaccination accessible now. Flu vouchers allow employees to arrange their vaccinations individually at participating pharmacies, without bringing everyone together on one date.
Why It Is Still Worth Considering for Your Workforce
When someone is unwell, the effects can extend beyond their own workload. Colleagues may need to provide cover, managers may have to rearrange shifts and smaller teams can find themselves stretched.
Offering employee flu vaccination is one way to support staff health during winter. It gives colleagues a tangible benefit and makes vaccination easier to access.
Vaccination does not prevent every winter illness or guarantee that nobody will need time off. The NHS explains that flu can still occur after vaccination, although it is likely to be milder and not last as long.
Rather than assuming the opportunity has passed, consider who your programme has reached. Have all locations been included? Have employees had a convenient opportunity to take part? A pharmacy-based option may help you reach colleagues who would otherwise miss out.
Who Could Still Benefit From a Flu Voucher?
If you have not offered staff flu vaccination this season, vouchers can form the basis of your programme. If you have already made arrangements, they can help you include colleagues who were unable to take part.
- Remote and hybrid employees who are not regularly in the workplace.
- Shift workers whose hours did not overlap with your clinic.
- Colleagues at other offices or sites who need a local option.
- Employees who were away when vaccination was offered.
- New starters who joined after your original arrangements.
An earlier workplace clinic may have suited many employees while leaving others without a convenient opportunity. Check with local managers to identify anyone who would still welcome access to a flu jab.
Thousands of Participating Pharmacies Across the UK and Ireland
Your employees may work for the same organisation, but their daily routines can look very different. A location that suits someone commuting to an office may be less convenient for a colleague working from home or travelling between sites.
Doctorcall Flu Vouchers can be used at thousands of participating pharmacies across the UK and Ireland. Employees can use the Doctorcall Pharmacy Finder to explore locations near home or work.
Before visiting, employees should check their chosen pharmacy’s booking arrangements, vaccine availability and instructions for presenting their voucher. Some pharmacies may require a printed copy of a digital voucher.
Include the pharmacy finder link in your staff announcement so colleagues can see their options from the outset.
Choose the Flu Voucher Option That Fits Your Team
Think about how you normally communicate with employees, how you want to distribute vouchers and how your organisation needs to pay.
| Voucher Option | How It Works | What to Consider |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Flu Vouchers | Share a company activation code so employees can download their individual flu e-vouchers. | No minimum order. For prepaid digital orders, the activation code is delivered immediately after payment. |
| Paper Flu Vouchers | Receive physical vouchers by tracked delivery and hand them directly to employees. | Minimum order of ten. Useful for teams who prefer a physical voucher or have limited access to work email. |
| Pay Per Activation | Employees activate and download digital vouchers. You pay monthly for vouchers activated that month. | No minimum order. Requires an approved Doctorcall credit account. Charges are based on activation and download, rather than vaccination. |
Digital and paper describe the voucher format. Pay Per Activation is a payment model using digital vouchers. Choose the format and payment arrangement that suit your workforce and purchasing process.
A team that regularly receives information by email may find digital vouchers convenient. Where managers prefer to hand something directly to staff, paper vouchers may be a better fit. Pay Per Activation offers monthly billing based on activations, with reporting to help you understand your invoice.
New Voucher Features: More Choice, More Control, Easier Administration
Arranging flu vouchers involves more than choosing a quantity. You may need finance to arrange payment, want to control who can activate vouchers or need a colleague to help with distribution. Doctorcall’s new voucher features support these everyday tasks.
Buy Any Voucher Type Online
Choose digital, paper or Pay Per Activation flu vouchers online, with a purchasing route that suits your organisation.
For prepaid orders, pay by card or generate a pro forma invoice for your finance team. You can also apply for a credit account, subject to approval. Pay Per Activation requires an approved credit account.
Practical benefit: Choose your vouchers and arrange payment around your organisation’s purchasing requirements.
Extra Control With Approved Domains
Approved Domains allows you to restrict digital flu voucher activation to approved company email domains.
Employees must use an email address with an approved domain to activate a voucher. This adds a control over who can access your allocation when you share the company activation code.
Practical benefit: Share your code with greater control over who can activate your organisation’s vouchers.
Easier Admin With Delegate Access
Delegate Access lets an authorised colleague help manage selected flu voucher orders while keeping financial information private.
Share the administration with someone who can support voucher distribution, such as a colleague in HR or a local team manager.
Practical benefit: Share the workload while keeping financial details hidden from delegate users.
Need help distributing vouchers? Email Distribution is another option for eligible credit-account clients. Contact the Flu Team to discuss the available methods and which would suit your organisation.
Decide who will manage the programme and communicate with employees before you order. A clear division of responsibilities between HR, finance and local managers can make the process easier to coordinate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can We Order Flu Vouchers for a Small Team?
Yes. Doctorcall Digital Flu Vouchers and Pay Per Activation have no minimum order. Paper Flu Vouchers have a minimum order of ten.
Can We Offer Vouchers to Employees Who Missed Our Workplace Clinic?
Yes. Flu vaccination vouchers provide another route for employees who were away, working remotely, on a different shift or otherwise unable to attend. They can arrange their vaccination at a participating pharmacy.
Can We Pay Without a Company Credit Card?
Yes. For prepaid orders, you can generate a pro forma invoice and pass it to your finance team to arrange payment. Downloading the invoice alone does not complete payment. You can also apply for a Doctorcall credit account, subject to approval. An approved credit account is required for Pay Per Activation.
Does Pay Per Activation Mean We Pay When Someone Is Vaccinated?
No. The charge applies when an employee activates and downloads their voucher. Doctorcall invoices monthly for those activations. An activated voucher is chargeable even if the employee does not subsequently receive their vaccination.
Can We Control Who Activates Our Digital Flu Vouchers?
Yes. Approved Domains lets you restrict activation to approved company email domains. Employees need to use an email address with an approved domain to activate their voucher.
Start With a Flu Voucher Quote for Your Team
If staff flu vaccination is still on your November to-do list, start with your employee numbers and preferred voucher option.
Whether you are introducing the benefit or reaching colleagues who missed an earlier opportunity, Doctorcall can help you choose a suitable arrangement.