Vaccine Preventable Disease

The promotion of staff immunization against vaccine preventable diseases helps to ensure protection for workers, their families, colleagues and the clients they may serve. It also ensures that the workplace is able to provide a high level of productivity, as services would not be disrupted by essentially preventable diseases. 

Immunization in the workplace

All adults need to be protected against tetanus and diphtheria and should have a booster every ten years. Some jobs put people at risk for specific diseases that can be prevented by vaccines. Health care workers, emergency responders, laboratory workers and students training for these jobs are at risk of exposure to communicable diseases because of their contact with people or specimens from people who may carry disease. These workers and students also have responsibility to protect themselves against communicable disease because they could pass it on during their work to sick or injured people who are at risk of serious complications from disease. All of these workers and students should be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, pertussis, polio, rubella, hepatitis B, influenza and chickenpox (if they do not already hve immunity). Other vaccines may also be recommended for laboratory workers, health care workers or for other occupations.

People who live or work in residential institutions should also be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, measles, polio, rubella, hepatitis B and influenza.

People who use street drugs and people with multiple sexual partners have a lifestyle that puts them at risk for certain diseases. Anyone who works with people with these lifestyle or enviironmental risks can help prevent disease by encouraging these people to get the vaccines they may need.

Why support immunization in the workplace?

Immunization for vaccine preventable diseases saves time and money by helping to ensure a healthier workforce. A healthy workforce helps increase productivity, reduce time off from work and related costs. 

How employers and employees can support immunization in the workplace:
  • Encourage employees to keep their immunization records up-to-date. Send reminders annually in a newsletter or pay slip insert.
  • Review and re-circulate your company policy on immunization, to make sure everyone is aware of requirements, and have a chance to ask questions.
  • Post a listing of the Northwestern Health Unit's free flu clinics on a bulletin board or in your company's newsletter.
  • Encourage your employer to offer an on-site, family-based flu clinic. 
Should I get the influenza vaccine if I am young and healthy?

The flu (influenza) is not just a bad cold. It is much worse. Flu causes fever, headaches, general body aches, and weakness, along with stuffy nose, sore throat, and cough. People with flu usually feel quite sick for 5 to 10 days, but the cough and weakness may last up to 6 weeks. Influenza is very contagious and can be transmitted easily to people at high risk of developing complications. Influenza is caused by a virus; antibiotics are not effective in treating the flu.

The flu vaccine is recommended for nearly everyone, even healthy adults. Among elderly people and people with chronic diseases, the flu vaccine can prevent complications that might otherwise kill them. Serious complications include pneumonia, kidney failure, and heart failure. Between 500 and 1,500 people in Canada die from influenza every year.

For younger healthy people, the flu vaccine is important for several reasons: to prevent transmitting the flu to someone who is at high risk for complications; to prevent transmitting the flu to your household and workplaces; to avoid lost time from work; and to prevent the personal distress and disruption of having the flu.

A new shot is required each year because there are several types of influenza virus and the viruses mutate or change over time. A new vaccine is developed each year to protect people against the flu virus that is most likely to cause disease in Canada for the coming winter.

What are the potential risks of vaccines?

As with any medicines, there are very small risks that problems could occur for someone getting a vaccine. For all of the routine vaccines, your chance of being harmed by the infection is far greater than any chance of being harmed by the vaccine. Vaccines are among the safest medical interventions, and they are subjected to vigorous safety and quality control standards.

The vaccines recommended for adults will protect you against serious diseases that have not disappeared from the world. If people stop using these vaccines, the diseases will almost certainly become common again, causing many illnesses and deaths. These vaccines are extremely safe and highly effective.

If you have any questions or concerns about vaccines check with your doctor or public health office.

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