The Benefits of Company Flu Shots
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 51.8% of Americans ages six months and older got a flu vaccine during the 2019-2020 flu season. With so many people interested in getting the seasonal shot, employers play a key role in providing access to the vaccine. They also have an opportunity to shine by increasing convenience, enhancing culture and improving overall workplace health.
Here are a few ways your organization can benefit from hosting a flu shot clinic.
Improve Employee Health
American workers miss an estimated 17 million work days every year because of the flu. That translates into an estimated cost of $7 billion in lost productivity. So the most obvious benefit of providing company flu shots is improving employee health.
By offering workplace flu clinics, employers will proactively reduce the spread of the flu throughout the workforce. Fewer sick days away from the office means the team stays productive, and may even reduce doctor visits and healthcare costs. These kinds of ripple effects impact the organization’s bottom line.
Flexible Scheduling
Another terrific benefit of on-site flu vaccinations is the accessibility. Flexible scheduling within the workplace reduces the hassle of employees finding, scheduling and attending a shot appointment outside regular work hours. If HR secures flu clinic providers and makes scheduling easy for employees, all they have to do is sign up for a time and show up. This convenience is an extra incentive to get the shot. The fact that it doesn’t require taking time off during the work day, makes getting the flu vaccine less of a hassle and more of an opportunity for everyone.
Enhance Culture
Is your company working to improve its culture and striving to make the office a more comfortable place to be? Offering a vaccination clinic in the workplace shows that the company cares about the health and wellbeing of its employees. Investing in employee wellness does not go unnoticed. In fact, it often leads to improved employee retention as well as boosted morale. Happy and healthy employees work harder and are loyal to their company, so consider how onsite flu clinics could benefit your corporate culture.
Integrate with Other Vaccinations
Your organization will improve attendance, participation and even ROI in workplace flu clinics by integrating other vaccines employees want. Here are a few options DHS offers as alternatives and additions to the flu shot.
Flu Shot Alternative
A flu clinic by nature is an exclusionary event. It’s personal and may be considered controversial by some. To make your clinic more inclusive for those employees who prefer a more natural option, consider offering immunity-boosting vitamin injections as an alternative to the seasonal flu shot. DHS offers vitamin B-12 plus vitamin C injections at only $17-35 per injection. Ask us about bundling this B-12 alternative with other options at your company’s next flu clinic.
COVID-19 Vaccination
The COVID-19 vaccine may be another option to consider offering at your flu clinic. As we head into flu season, the extra protection of a COVID-19 vaccine makes a lot of sense, especially for employers who worry about losing productivity time to quarantines, doctor visits, etc. Last year, San Diego county saw a spike in case numbers between November and February. DHS can now provide both the COVID-19 and flu vaccines at the same time to employees who want to receive them both. Ask our team about initial doses as well as booster shot options.
Other Vaccinations and Wellness Options
We also offer the ability to provide Hepatitis A and B, Pneumonia, and T-Dap vaccines, just to name a few. Additional wellness options like weight loss programs, mindfulness classes, food sensitivity testing and many others can also increase the ROI of these on-site clinics. Just like with the flu shot, vitamin injections and the COVID-19 vaccine, the convenience of bringing these options to your employees both incentivizes them to engage and can benefit the entire workforce.
Vaccination Clinics with Discovery Health Services
Whether you choose to offer a single flu shot, or several shots and wellness program options all in one clinic, DHS is focused on making your event a success. Visit our website today for a full list of vaccinations and wellness options, or to talk to a specialist about scheduling your on-site vaccine clinic.