Flu Vaccinations
Now more than ever, it is vital that workplaces realise the benefits of keeping well and staying healthy for work.
Why should workplaces undertake flu vaccinations?
84% of companies include Flu in their top three causes of short-term absence (up to four weeks)
It has long been known that flu (influenza) can significantly increase work absenteeism, increasing costs and putting extra burden on non-affected staff. This has also been shown to reduce morale. By vaccinating against the flu, you could reduce this absenteeism in your workplace.
Many organisations recognise this and offer their workers a flu vaccination as part of their occupational health provision.
When is flu season?
The flu season in the UK typically lasts for 4-8 months and outbreaks typically occur between December to May. It can begin as early as October if the weather is cold, as the flu virus spreads faster in colder and dry weather. But you can catch flu at any time of year.
It’s best to make sure your employees are vaccinated at the start of the season, by early October. It takes around 10-14 days for your body to become immune to the flu, so getting this done early reduces the risk of falling ill.
How does the flu vaccination programme work?
At RPS, we have three ways of delivering a flu programme that works for you and your employees. We’ll work with you to implement a flu vaccination programme to help dramatically reduce the chance of sickness absence in your workforce.
On-site delivery
A qualified nurse will come to your site and administer the vaccine. This can either be done over a full day (100 vaccines) or half a day (50 vaccines).
Digital vouchers
Our clients can access an online portal through a unique access code, and employees can then download a digital voucher, which is taken to their local pharmacy to receive their flu vaccination.
Paper vouchers
Clients can also order paper vouchers to be redeemed at a pharmacy, when getting a vaccine. Once ordered, vouchers will be sent out to clients to be distributed amongst their employees.
Contact our team for more details
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Benefits of a flu vaccination programme
Flu symptoms can be severe and will invariably keep a member of staff off work for at least a week. The virus attacks the throat, nose and lungs causing high fever, headaches, aching joints, coughs and general tiredness.
Flu is highly contagious and for some, it can become more serious and require extended periods of time off work. Not only do workplace flu vaccinations help improve the health of your employees, but they can also:
- Help your business remain productive during flu season.
- Reduce the cost and pressure caused by unexpected illnesses.
- Improve morale in the workplace.
- Provide a convenient way for your employees to make their health a priority.
The flu vaccine is a safe and effective vaccine way to protects against the flu. The vaccine contains a small amount of the inactivated flu virus. This isn’t enough to cause an infection but is enough for people to develop antibodies to kill the virus, which makes them immune from infection.
The vaccine is given as a single dose.
Yes. Your employees will need a new vaccination before each flu season. The influenza virus that causes the flu rapidly mutates and evolves into new strains. Each year the vaccine is tailored to the new strains of the virus. It is likely that new strains will have emerged the following year, so a new flu vaccine is needed before each flu season.
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