Employee Health Promotion

Flu Shot Facts & Myths

Myth: The flu isn’t a serious disease.

Fact: Influenza (flu) is a serious disease of the nose, throat, and lungs, and it can lead to pneumonia. Each year about 200,000 workers in the U.S. are hospitalized and about 36,000 workers die because of the flu. Most who die are 65 years and older. But small children less than 2 years old are as likely as those over 65 to have to go to the hospital because of the flu.

Myth: The flu shot can cause the flu.

Fact: The flu shot cannot cause the flu. Some workers get a little soreness or redness where they get the shot. It goes away in a day or two. Serious problems from the flu shot are very rare.

Myth: The flu shot does not work.

Fact: Most of the time the flu shot will prevent the flu. In scientific studies, the effectiveness of the flu shot has ranged from 70% to 90% when there is a good match between circulating viruses and those in the vaccine. Getting the vaccine is your best protection against this disease.

Myth: The side effects are worse than the flu.

Fact: The worst side effect you’re likely to get from a flu shot is a sore arm. The nasal mist flu vaccine might cause nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat and cough. The risk of a severe allergic reaction is less than 1 in 4 million.

Myth: Only older workers need a flu vaccine.

Fact: Adults and children with conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease need to get a flu shot. Doctors also recommend children 6 months and older get a flu shot every year until their 5th birthday.

Myth: You must get the flu vaccine before December.

Fact: Flu vaccine can be given before or during the flu season. The best time to get vaccinated is October or November. But you can get vaccinated in December or later.

For more information, ask your healthcare provider or call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636). You can also get more information about flu vaccinations by visiting the following Website: www.cdc.gov/flu

Source: The Department of Health and Human ServicesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention

Advantages of Employee Health Promotion Programs: Easy to Find

Employer’s are learning that Employee Health Promotion Programs is an effective way to increase productivity, improve worker health, decrease healthcare costs and reduce rates of absence.

A report published in 2003 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted how important it is for employers to incorporate Employee Health Promotion Programs as part of their corporate strategy. The report asserts that chronic diseases which are largely preventable place a heavy toll on business, including lower productivity and higher health insurance costs.

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that $1.66 trillion was spent on health care in 2003 and it attributes a majority of those costs to chronic diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma. Sadly, the money allocated for preventing or controlling these conditions is negligible.

In a recent article, American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin reported two thirds of cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented through lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, cancer screening and “especially” tobacco use. A well-designed Employee Health Promotion Programs initiative serves the best interests of workers and employers alike.

Advantages of Wellness Progams: Return On Investment (ROI)

Ron Goetzel, a nationally recognized expert in the science of health management, data analysis and applied research, said in a recent interview that with an investment of $100 to $150 per worker per year in Employee Health Promotion Programs, an employer can expect an average return on investment of approximately $3 for every $1

invested ($300 to $450 savings per worker per year). Goetzel says, however, that these returns are not typically realized until two to three years into the Employee Health Promotion Program.

Advantages of Wellness Progams: Tax Breaks

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has been an outspoken proponent in seeking legislative solutions for a strained healthcare system.

“As a nation, we have a ‘sick care’ system that is focused on helping workers after they get sick, rather than a ‘health care’ system which focuses on keeping healthy workers healthy,” he says.

Harkin introduced the Healthy Lifestyle and Prevention (HeLP) America Act of 2004. One of the initiatives under Title II – Healthier Communities and Workplaces, provides tax credits to organizations that offer broad-based programs to promote worker health and grants for small business.

Advantages of Wellness Progams: Getting Started

Implementing a Employee Health Promotion Programs can be accomplished with simple, low-cost strategies.

• Provide incentives for participation.

• Establish a wellness informational campaign.

• Schedule wellness seminars on diabetes, nutrition, exercise and cholesterol.

• Establish initiatives such as fitness, sleep diary, smoking cessation and injury prevention.

• Provide onsite chair massages or simple stretching exercises to do at the desk.

• Change snack machine options to offer healthier, low-fat snacks and drinks.

• Actively promote worker participation in all Employee Health Promotion Programs.

A successful Employee Health Promotion Program can boost business morale, enhance productivity, reduce organizational conflict, attract superior workers and decrease the rate of worker turnover. The case for establishing a Employee Health Promotion Program is well worth the effort.