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Encouraging Workplace Vaccinations
Keeping Your Workplace Healthy During Flu Season
To maintain a healthy workplace during flu season, consider offering complimentary on-site flu vaccinations for your employees. If hosting a clinic at your business location isn’t feasible, encourage staff to get vaccinated within the community. Incorporating annual flu vaccinations into your workplace wellness program has numerous benefits for both your business and your employees.
How to organise a flu vaccination clinic?
Planning
– Engage stakeholders. Involve management, human resources, employees, and labor representatives in the planning process.
– Get management support. Secure commitment from senior management to prioritise flu vaccinations as a business goal.
– Appoint a coordinator. Designate a flu vaccination coordinator or team with clear roles, potentially led by occupational health or safety staff.
– Consider external providers. Assess the need to hire an experienced provider for vaccination services.
– Schedule effectively. Plan the clinic for optimal employee participation, ideally before the end of October, as flu season starts in autumn.
– Assess demand. Estimate employee interest and ensure vaccines are available at various business locations.
– Facilitate participation. Allow employees to get vaccinated during work hours without having to clock out.
– Set goals. Establish vaccination targets and communicate their importance to employees. Strive to increase participation rates annually.
Hosting and promoting your vaccination clinic
Incentivise participation. Increase turnout by offering the vaccine at no or low cost, providing refreshments, or holding departmental contests.
Promote widely. Use various methods to advertise the clinic:
- Posters in break rooms, cafeterias, and high-traffic areas.
- Articles in company newsletters, intranet, and emails.
- Social media announcements.
Encouraging vaccination without a clinic
If an on-site clinic isn’t possible, take alternative steps to promote flu vaccination:
– Flexible HR policies. Allow employees to take time off to get vaccinated in the community.
– Community information. Display promotional materials about local vaccination sites in break rooms and other common areas.
– Internal communications. Use newsletters, intranet, and emails to educate employees on the importance of flu vaccination and where to get vaccinated.
– Flu vouchers. Provide flu vouchers, enabling employees to receive vaccinations at local clinics at no cost to them.
Private COVID-19 Vaccines Now Available!
Did you know that Doctorcall provides private COVID-19 vaccines? Whether you’re an individual looking to book your booster or a company looking to protect employees from COVID, starting in April 2024, you can access our private COVID vaccination services. This includes on-site vaccination clinics and our Private GP visiting service in London. Unlike the flu, COVID is present throughout the year, so there’s no need to wait until winter. Pre-book your COVID vaccine today!
Flu Vaccination FAQ
Why is it important to get vaccinated for influenza or flu?
The complications from influenza or flu can cause several illnesses and in extreme cases death. It is important to get vaccinated every year as new variants and strains will be circulating that may be immune to previous vaccinations.rnrnHaving a flu vaccination helps prevent and reduce symptoms.
Why do we have the flu vaccine every year?
The flu virus changes every year. Hence, the composition of the vaccine is changed every year. Also, the protection of the flu vaccine will reduce over time. In order to accommodate the strains, it is important to get a flu jab every year.
Will the flu vaccine give you flu?
Flu vaccination is not a live vaccine, which means that it is not a small dose of flu to help your immune system build its defences. It acts like a blocker to prevent the influenza virus from attaching itself to your cells.rnrnWhen you get vaccinated, it will take 10-14 days to give you the protection. Some people may get side effects but these usually only last for around 24 hours.rnrnIt is certain that the flu vaccine will not give you flu.
What are the main side effects of flu vaccine?
Some people might have side effects from the flu vaccine. The main side effect is a sore arm at the injection site and can be treated with standard painkillers like Paracetamol or Aspirin.
Why should I have the flu vaccine if I have never had the flu?
Getting vaccinated for the flu helps to prevent you from getting the flu and reduces the symptoms should you become infected. With the complications that influenza can cause, it helps to reduce the risk of everybody coming into contact with you.rnrnEvery person that has a flu vaccination reduces the risk to everyone they come into contact with. If you are incubating the flu virus, you have the potential to spread it to other people, including those who are vulnerable or young, causing prolonged medical complications and issues for them.
I’ve recently had a flu, should I still have a flu vaccination? And how long should I wait after I’m over the flu to get vaccinated?
It is still recommended to get the flu vaccination if you have recently recovered from influenza. It will take 10-14 days to get a good immune response from the flu vaccine, so as soon as you have no fever and are feeling healthy, you should get the flu jab.