Flu Facts Overview
The flu is easily transmitted from person to person, entering the body through the nose.  Unlike the common cold, the flu presents symptoms rapidly after infection and serious complications can occur.

Flu season typically peaks January through March with the highest rate of employee absenteeism from infection occurring in January and February.

Immunization is the most effective way to prevent the flu, flu-related complications and workplace absenteeism. Immunizations are typically administered between October and December.

Limited quantities of vaccine are manufactured each year.  Because vaccine shortages do occur, customers are encouraged to schedule their clinics well in advance to ensure adequate supplies of vaccine are ordered and in stock for their employees.

There are two ways to administer immunizations:

• The Flu Shot - utilizes a dead form of the influenza strains and is injected intramuscularly.  The flu shot is the most common method of vaccination and is suitable for the majority of the population. Click here for Flu Shot FAQ's.
• FluMist™ - uses modified live influenza strains and is sprayed directly into the nasal passage.   FluMist™ is new to the market and currently only recommended for healthy individuals between the ages of 5 - 49. Click here for FluMist™ FAQ's.

Flu Facts Overview

• Every year 35-50 million people are infected with influenza or flu viruses and an average of approximately 20,000 U.S. lives are claimed each year by the illness.
• Vaccination can reduce both direct medical costs and indirect costs from workplace absenteeism.
• Annual flu shots typically result in:
  

• The average loss in productivity for an employee infected with the flu is $575-1000/week.  Add to that the additional losses in salary and benefits for a sick employee, and the flu shot becomes a valuable tool for enhancing your company's bottom dollar.

  Source: New England Journal of Medicine, CDC and various Human Resources executives.

Flu Shot FAQ's

Who should get a flu shot?
Am I classified as high-risk?
Why get a flu shot?
When should I get a flu shot?
Do I need a flu shot every year?
Will I get the flu from the flu shot?
What are the side effects of getting a flu shot?
How effective is a flu shot?
Can I still get the flu after I get a flu shot?
Can you tell me about FluMist™, the nasal vaccine spray?

Who should get a flu shot?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends that you receive a flu shot if you are at high-risk of serious complications of the flu or take care of high-risk individuals.

Even if you aren't classified as high-risk, the CDC recommends that you receive a flu shot if you fit one of the following categories:

• Anyone who wants to considerably reduce the risk of contracting the flu
• Over the age of 50
• Have high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, a history of stroke or heart attack, a chronic disease (emphysema, bronchitis, fibrosis), diabetes, a compromised immune system, anemia, asthma or other breathing problem
• A health care worker with high-risk patients
• Have required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization during the preceding year because of chronic metabolic, kidney or blood cell diseases
• Traveling to a foreign country
• Living or working with persons who fit into one of these categories

Back to Flu Shot FAQ's

Am I classified as high-risk?
You are classified by the CDC as high-risk if you fall under one of the following categories:

• 65 years of age or older
• A resident or employee of a nursing home or other chronic care facility where some of the residents have chronic medical conditions
• Have a chronic medical condition yourself (regardless of your age), such as:
  • Asthma, or another lung disease
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Kidney disease
  • Blood disease
• Have immune system problems caused either by disease (e.g., HIV infection or lymphoma) or by medication (e.g., chemotherapy or radiation therapy)
• A woman who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during flu season (You must bring a physicians written prescription to the clinic location)
• A child or teenager (6 months - 18 years of age) who is receiving long-term aspirin therapy (if under 18 years of age, see management at the clinic location for minimum age requirements)
• A healthcare worker who delivers care to high-risk patients at home

Back to Flu Shot FAQ's

Why get a flu shot?
Influenza (commonly known as the flu) usually leaves its victims unable to function for several days and is responsible for an average of 140,000 hospitalizations each year.*   Getting an annual flu shot is your best protection against the flu.   The vaccine is created from noncontiguous, inactive viruses and altered yearly to combat the ever-evolving flu.

*National Coalition for Adult Immunization, April 2000

Back to Flu Shot FAQ's

When should I get a flu shot?
In the United States, influenza usually occurs from about November until April, with activity peaking between late December and early March.   Although the optimal time for vaccinations is during October through November, the CDC supports getting vaccinated during the winter months.

Do I need a flu shot every year?
Yes.   Influenza viruses continually change every year. A new vaccine is used annually to fight the most current influenza virus.   In addition, the antibody a person develops from the vaccine declines over time.   This means that antibody levels become low one year after the vaccination.

Will I get the flu from the flu shot?
No. Flu vaccine is created from dead or inactive viruses that are not contagious.

What are the side effects of getting a flu shot?
For most people, vaccination causes no side effects.  Less than 1/3 of those who receive a flu shot will experience some soreness at the vaccination site, and only 5 to 10 percent will suffer mild side effects such as low-grade fevers and headaches.   Anyone who is allergic to eggs should avoid being vaccinated, since the virus used is grown in hens' eggs.

How effective is the flu shot?
A yearly flu shot has been determined to be about 75% effective in preventing the flu and reducing its severity.  Getting vaccinated is your best method of protection.

Can I still get the flu after I get the flu shot?
Yes.  Like other vaccines, flu vaccine is not 100% effective and does not take effect until one or two weeks after the flu shot is received.   During this time, you will be just as susceptible to contract the flu as individuals who have not received the vaccination.   Still, the best option to prevent flu is to get a yearly flu shot.