August is National Immunization Awareness Month—a timely reminder that flu season is only a few months away. For occupational safety and health leaders, a proactive approach is the key to sustaining workplace illness prevention: to anticipate and prepare for risks before they even happen. Not only does mitigating the risk of exposure to infectious diseases in the workplace ensure that employees will be less likely to get themselves and their families sick, it also protects productivity and minimizes lost work time.
How the flu spreads
In most cases, the flu and other viruses are spread through the air after coughing or sneezing, but can also be spread by touching a contaminated object and then touching one’s eyes or mouth. Workplace settings generally offer ample opportunities for viruses to spread due to person-to-person contact and physical proximity. Desktops, keyboards, even coffee pots are just a few examples of common objects in which germs can settle for up to several days that are handled by multiple people on a daily basis. One study found that it only takes about 4 hours for a virus to spread in the workplace.
Once a person becomes infected, the virus attacks cells in the sinuses, nasal passages, throat, lungs, and bloodstream, which often manifests in a cough, nasal congestion, and body aches. The reason that the flu is almost always accompanied by fever is due to the immune system’s response to the virus: it produces chemicals that cause an increase in body temperature and slow down the rate of viral reproduction. Although these symptoms serve as an indicator to keep one’s distance, viruses can also be spread by an infected person before they show symptoms. Some never have any symptoms at all. This is yet another situation in which a preventative approach is incredibly beneficial: vaccination before flu season protects the immune system long before exposure to the virus.
The standard flu vaccine protects against either 3 or 4 different types of influenza. It’s important to note that while some vaccinations, such as tetanus or measles, last for several years, the flu vaccine only protects an individual for one year. Unless one has severe allergies to ingredients within the vaccine, it is completely safe to receive. Above all, vaccination is effective: according to the CDC, between 2014 and 2015 alone there were 1.9 million illnesses, 966,00 medical visits, and 67,000 hospitalizations prevented by influenza vaccination.
Barriers to immunization
The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone over the age of 6 months by the end of October. The most commonly used strategy for improved coverage is for healthcare providers to offer vaccination during all visits approaching flu season. However, there remains a large segment of the population that do not receive such opportunities. Although U.S. Census data shows that, in every state, the percentage of uninsured Americans has been decreasing over the past several years, there are still approximately 28.6 million individuals without health insurance coverage, which includes nearly 13% of working-age adults.
Insurance coverage status is a good predictor of access to medical care; studies show that in 2014, 27% of uninsured adults went without necessary healthcare due to high costs. Statistically, uninsured adults are also less likely to seek out preventative care than those who are insured.
Besides physician-delivered immunization services, the CDC also suggests the use of nontraditional settings to ensure that the uninsured, or those who have not visited a physician recently, will be reminded to get a flu shot, the workplace being one of the most effective settings in which to do so. Providing resources that make it easy for employees to access immunization services is a critical aspect of preventive health strategy.
Other ways to further workplace illness prevention
The most important step to avoiding a flu outbreak and the resulting productivity loss is to encourage employees to get vaccinated, but there are also secondary preventative strategies called nonpharmaceutical interventions to help mitigate illness in the workplace. These strategies are effective for respiratory illnesses other than the flu.
For employees:
- Washing hands frequently
- Covering your mouth with a tissue while coughing or sneezing
- Avoiding touching the mouth, eyes, and nose
- Avoiding close contact with people who may be sick
For workplace health and safety leaders:
- Implementing flu-prevention measures into operations, policy, and training
- Providing resources to help identify symptoms
- Provide on-site health screenings or a list of nearby locations that offer free screenings
- Encouraging workers to stay home and/or see a physician if they have flu symptoms
- Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that are frequently used
- Communicating with employees about flu prevention using various forms of media, such as signage or email notifications
Remember, immunization only works when the majority participates, and adverse effects are incredibly rare. The concept of “community immunity” applies to the flu as well as other contagious diseases. For more information and resources for safety and health leaders, visit the CDC Flu and Vaccination Resource page.
