How does flu affect businesses?
What is Flu?
Why should you vaccinate your staff?
What are the risks?
What does it cost?
What to do next

How does flu affect your business?
The flu season is imminent and we are again offering flu vaccination to businesses and organisations throughout Ireland.

Flu is a highly infectious disease and continues to be a major public health problem. It also affects almost every business in Ireland and causes an average of one week’s absence. Multiply this by the number of staff in your organisation and you’ll see the potential risk to productivity. This is why we are asked back each year by many businesses to vaccinate their staff. Serious complications are commonest and hospitalisation rates are highest among the elderly and in people with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. However, annual vaccination is an effective, safe way of reducing influenza’s debilitating and unpleasant effects.

Vaccination dates available in October and November. We come to your premises Book your date now!

What is Flu?
Flu is an acute respiratory illness caused by infection with an influenza virus

There are three types in all with Influenza A and Influenza B causing the majority of infections. The third type, Influenza C, is rarely reported as a cause of human illness.

What are the symptoms?
Flu is characterised by sudden onset of symptoms with the patient often recalling the exact hour the fever commenced. The symptoms include
• a temperature of 38°C or more with a dry cough
• headache &chills
• sore muscles
• sore throat
Cough is often severe and protracted, but otherwise the disease is self-limiting and recovery is 2-7 days. Long-term effects that can occur include depression and fatigue that can last weeks. Some people have a more serious illness and may need to be admitted to hospital. Complications of flu include pneumonia, worsening of chronic medical conditions (especially chronic heart and lung conditions) and acute encephalopathy (brain swelling/inflammation). Flu can be fatal. Severe disease is most likely in people with chronic medical conditions, the elderly and women during the second half of pregnancy. Worldwide, flu causes 3-5 million cases of severe disease each year and 250,000 to 500,000 deaths.

How does Influenza Spread?
The virus multiplies in the nose and airway passage and usually spreads by aerosol droplet spray. It is highly infectious and can survive on worktops especially in low temperature and in low humidity. The incubation period (delay between infection and appearance of symptoms) is short typically 1-3 days. A person can spread the virus by sneezing or coughing from 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms and continue to be infective for a further 3-5 days. This may be prolonged to a week in children.