Download a PDF version of this Medical Alert

Is your firm or company going to do anything about swine flu? As a business, you should be prepared.

1. Encourage all employees to obtain the regular seasonal influenza vaccination from their personal health care provider, as soon as it is available. This is important because:
   1. Once the H1N1 vaccine is released in late October, health care workers will likely be overwhelmed with demands for the H1N1.
   2. Persons aged > 65 are at highest risk for complications from regular seasonal influenza. From this age group come 90% of seasonal influenza-related deaths (>30k/year in US) and 60% of seasonal influenza-related hospitalizations.

Has your firm/company planned for the influenza epidemic's impact on your business? Be prepared!

1. Essential employees must be capable of working from home. Telecommuting will insure cooperation whether there is low prevalence or high prevalence of H1N1.
   1. In low prevalence situations: sick workers need to be allowed to stay home while they have influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms, through at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without the use of anti-fever medications like aspirin, Motrin, or Tylenol.
   2. In high prevalence situations, even healthy workers may need to stay home to care for sick family members or children.
2. Promote healthy behaviors and spread the preventive health message to all staff.
   1. Sick persons should stay home. Employees with an ILI should notify their supervisor and be encouraged to stay home from work.
      1. Signs and symptoms of ILI are: fever (100° F or 37.8° C), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.
      2. Some people may also have diarrhea and vomiting.
      3. Expect sick employees to be out for 3-5 days.
      4. Employees with ILI should stay home until their fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without the use of medications.
   2. If an employee comes to work and looks ill with an ILI, they should be advised to go home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or any signs of a fever.
   3. Employees must cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or cough into their sleeve: Influenza virus is spread through respiratory droplets and via contaminated hands.
   4. Employees must be encouraged to wash their hands frequently with soap and water. Hand drying machines limit the appeal of thoroughly washing one's hands because you cannot properly dry them.  Encourage the use of hand sanitizers at work.   

Should we be getting swine flu shots?  

The US Public Health services will attempt to provide vaccination to everyone who desires the vaccination, but several high-risk groups have been recommended for initial vaccination.

The CDC's recommends that the first to receive the H1N1 vaccine should be these five "high risk groups":

1. Pregnant women,
2. Persons who live with or provide care for infants aged < 6 months,
3. Health-care and emergency medical personnel,
4. Children and young adults aged 6 months - 24 years, and
5. Persons aged 25-64 who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications (asthma, chronic lung diseases, coronary artery disease).

Additionally, the U.S. Government has created guidance documents to assist businesses with their H1N1 preparedness planning. Links to those guidance documents are below.

• Planning for 2009 H1N1 Influenza: A Preparedness Guide for Small Business
• Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Businesses and Employers