The flu is a highly contagious and serious condition that can affect everyone in our community even those who are fit and healthy.
Anyone can catch the flu, making it easy to spread within the household and workplace reducing productivity and decreasing morale.
Flu is a significant public health issue in New Zealand. Each year it has a large impact on our community, with 10-20% of New Zealanders becoming infected.
Not only does flu physically infect people, it can also have a financial impact, particularly in workplaces whilst potentially overwhelming both primary care and hospital services during winter epidemics.
Studies prove that healthy employees who are vaccinated against the flu have nearly half the number of doctors visits and sick days due to upper respiratory illness, compared to those who were not vaccinated.
The flu vaccine and corporate flu shots can also help prevent injuries. Employees who continue to complete their regular tasks whilst infected with the flu are at a higher risk of injury due to 20-40% slower reaction times.
What is the flu?
The flu is caused by three types of influenza virus – A, B and C which all infect the respiratory system.
The flu is contagious and is spread by coughing, sneezing and direct contact with an infected person or by touching a contaminated surface, such as a door handle, elevator or lift button. Extended periods in an enclosed poorly ventilated space with an infected person increase the chances of getting influenza. You can be infectious for around a day before symptoms arise.
Influenza illness is very non-specific so can include any or all of these symptoms: fever, muscle aches and pains, headache, lack of energy, dry cough, sore throat, and possibly a runny nose. The fever and body aches can last 3-5 days whilst the cough and lack of energy may last for two or more weeks
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I am fit and healthy, do I need the flu shot?
Unfortunately healthy adults, children and infants can still become seriously ill with the flu. As well as being seriously ill from the infection they are also usually in a prime environment to spread influenza to others around them.
Although people with underlying health conditions such as asthma or diabetes are most at risk from influenza associated complications, previously healthy people can still become seriously ill and even die.
Influenza continues to be a major threat to public health worldwide because of its ability to spread rapidly through populations whilst having no curative treatment. The only way to prevent the flu occurring is to vaccinate.
What is in the 2020 Flu Vaccination?
The 2020 flu vaccination contains four strains and each dose contains 15 μg of haemagglutinin antigens for each of the following strains:
A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1) pdm09-like virus
A/Switzerland/8060/2017 (H3N2)-like virus
B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus
B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus
How can we help?
We arrange everything from start to finish, ensuring the process is easy for your workplace, reducing the stress around flu season.
Our pharmacists are qualified Vaccinators with a number of options for workplace vaccinations.
We can offer both onsite and offsite workplace vaccinations to suit your team.
Onsite Vaccinations
We can vaccinate a workplace of up to 200 in one session minimising the disruptions to your team. We simply need a room with a table and two chairs, one for the vaccinator and another for your team member. We suggest four chairs and one large table for larger workplaces (over 50 people).
Instore Vaccinations
We can vaccinate your team in the pharmacy , this is particularly handy for small teams in different locations, shift works or if a team member is absent on the day of vaccination.
We will be offering workplace flu vaccinations from the end of March. Although March may seem early to begin vaccinating, it only takes one staff member to influence the course of the flu within the rest of the workplace.
We are now taking bookings for our offsite workplace vaccinations. Get in touch with us, if you would like more information or you would like to book this service.
