We recently hosted a webinar about the corporate flu shot landscape, and how it will be changing in coming years. If you weren’t able to make it to the webinar, that’s okay! All you need to do is:
- Check out this blog recap
- Watch the webinar recording
- Let us know if you have any questions
- And, keep your eye on our content for future webinar opportunities
To watch the replay, click below.
In case you want a quick recap, read on!
The Vaccine
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times. The flu vaccine is incredibly safe. It’s made from inactivated viruses, and used to help you build immunity to that virus. Vaccines are made using expert predictions about what flu strain will circulate that year.
Some vaccines are trivalent, meaning they protect against three flu strains. Others are quadrivalent, meaning they protect against four strains. Both are offered by a variety of manufacturers and in a variety of doses.
Flu vaccine manufacturers get the expert recommendations in the Spring so they can make enough vaccine to go around. Due to recent mergers and brand changes, the manufacturer market has seen some shifts—especially towards a more steady production of quadrivalent vaccine.
Because of these manufacturing changes, it’s important to think about corporate flu shots, even if it feels too early. If you want the exact amount and kind of vaccine you order, it’s important to put the order in early so you have a slate reserved if anything is delayed in the manufacturing process.
Flu Season Past, Flu Season Future
If we’ve learned one thing from past flu seasons, it’s that the virus is constantly mutating and we need to keep up. Influenza is a major public health threat. If we had a crystal ball to predict exactly what strains would circulate, we’d be in excellent shape.
Unfortunately we don’t. So we’re stuck using predictions and past trends. As you’re probably aware, last seasons’ flu shot missed the mark on a circulating ‘A’ strain. Experts have learned from that and have it covered for next year’s vaccine.
Planning Ahead for Your Workforce
While we do see some misses from time to time, your corporate flu shot is the single best way to protect your workforce from flu season. It’s important—especially after off years—to educate your employees about the vaccination. There are so many online resources (like ours, or the CDC’s) that can help you communicate this to your employees.
Aside from continuing to get vaccinated, it’s also important to talk to your employees about how to halt the spread of flu in the fall. Stress things like staying home if you’re sick, washing hands and drinking from your own water bottle.
It’s important to protect your employees' health by taking each flu season one at a time. When it comes to planning for the future of your corporate flu shots, however, it’s important to note a few things.
First, we hit and we miss, but it’s you still need to plan. Facing the flu unvaccinated is a big risk to take. Plan for the worst and protect yourself and your employees.
Second, the market is changing. Due to mergers and the business aspect of vaccination manufacturing, the market will continue to change. Order early to ensure you get exactly what you want from your corporate flu shots.
Finally, quadrivalent is key. Although it does come with a bit of an extra cost, the quadrivalent vaccination can be a better choice. Not only are you protected from more strains, but the market is headed that way anyways. Plan ahead and be ready for an all quadrivalent market to emerge in the coming years.
This brief overview of our webinar, The Shifting Corporate Flu Shot Landscape, can help you be proactive in protecting your employees from the flu. Take in this info, check out the webinar recording and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions about your corporate flu shots.
What questions do you have about our recent webinar?
