Workplace vaccination will become commonplace as part of business’ proactive efforts to ensure the health and wellbeing of their team. The WHO and Health and Safety Work Act have also recommended vaccination programs to be implemented in the workplace. This program is especially needed for some types of work that have a higher risk or exposure to vaccine-preventable disease, including healthcare workers, laboratory staff, people who work with children, people who work with certain communities, people who work with animals, emergency and essential services workers, or plumbers.
Workplaces should offer these vaccinations to protect staff from illness while protecting the people under their care altogether. Workplaces should also encourage staff to practice good hygiene, seek appropriate treatment for illness and stay home when they are unwell.
Benefits of workplace vaccination include the following:
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Below is a list of vaccinations business leaders should consider. For further assistance, HR and business leaders should consult professional medic in their area.
The flu vaccine can reduce the risk of illness by 40-60 percent throughout the population during flu season (October-May). Symptoms are often debilitating dependent on age and the severity of the strain. Most employees would benefit in some way from the flu vaccine. However, if you work in healthcare, emergency services or with vulnerable people you should receive the vaccination. Not only will it help prevent you catching the flu, it will reduce the chances of you spreading the flu too.
You can catch Hepatitis A from contaminated food, drink or water. You can also catch it from another person. The virus thrives in areas with poor sanitation. If you work with sewage, refuse or travel frequently for work you should receive the vaccination.
You can catch Hepatitis B via contaminated blood/ bodily fluids and it is a serious liver infection. It’s often associated with needles. If you are in the healthcare, emergency services, laboratory, prison or travelling industry you will need the vaccination.
Japanese encephaliti is a disease spread by mosquito bites and can eventually result in a coma. It is recommended that if you travel to Asia for a duration of over a month you should receive the vaccination.
The MMR vaccine is usually distributed to young children. However, there might be people who have not received the vaccine as a child so they will need to be vaccinated in adult age. If you aren’t sure whether you received the vaccine, there is no harm in you having another vaccination.
The Revaxis vaccine helps boost immunity against diphtheria, tetanus and polio. The Revaxis vaccine lasts 10 years. If you’re travelling to any countries where tetanus, diphtheria and polio are indicated, you should ensure that you have had a booster.
Typhoid is another disease you can pick up whilst travelling to places such as Asia and South America. Vaccinations are recommended to prevent you from picking up the infection.
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