Who should get vaccinated this season?

Anyone who wants to reduce their chances of getting the flu can get vaccinated. However, it is recommended by CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that certain people should get vaccinated each year. Most of these people are recommended for vaccination because they are at high risk of having serious flu complications or they live with or care for people at high risk for serious complications.

People recommended for seasonal influenza vaccination during the 2009-10 season remain the same as the previous season:

·         Children aged 6 months and up to their 19th birthday

·         Pregnant women

·         People 50 years of age and older

·         People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions

·         People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

·         People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

• Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
• Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)  
• Health care workers

Vaccination Services of America, Inc. (VSA) and Health Fairs of America, Inc.(HFA) will use a new, smaller and safer, 1cc "Baksnap" syringe for vaccinations and other injections. The smaller (1" needle) syringe, similar to a TB syringe, is half the size of syringes currently used. They will become standard equipment in all corporate wellness events beginning in fall 2008.

Explaining the move to the smaller syringe, HFA V. P. and Nursing Director Kate Adams notes, "It has advantages for everyone involved.

"For us, the provider, the Baksnap syringe is smaller and lighter. That reduces both package size and weight, both of which reduce shipping and storage costs. It will also cut down on the amount of wasted fluid vaccine, another cost reduction. Plus, we are able to get a more accurate dose, and eliminate additional waste of vaccine.

"For our clients, reduced supply costs help hold down per employee injection costs.

"Employees will like the smaller syringe because it will produce less anxiety prior to the injection and hopefully less discomfort during the injection.

"And finally, our nurses will benefit from the design of the Baksnap syringe. The needle retracts up into the syringe to prevent accidental finger sticks. Only the syringe with the retracted needle is thrown in the sharps container. The needle cap and plunger, after being snapped off of the syringe, is thrown in the regular trash. That cuts biohazard waste in half, making it more eco friendly. We (VSA / HFA) are dedicated to creating a "greener" environment.""

VSA / HFA Founder and CEO Alan Kohll, commenting on the change of equipment, said, "It might seem like 'much ado about nothing' but, in fact, it's a significant move. When you look at how one simple change of equipment can have a positive impact on every major stakeholder on the corporate wellness landscape you have to be impressed.

THEM:
Some providers of corporate vaccination and health fair events position themselves as "national providers." One of the methods used to back up the claim is to offer to ship to corporate sites anywhere in the country.

Here's the problem. Look closely at the small print under a heading such as "Administration" and you might find something that reads, more or less, like this:

Your supplies will arrive the day before your clinic. The vaccine will be packaged and, if left sealed in a reasonably cool room, will remain usable until the clinic the next day.

However, if your clinic is scheduled for a Monday, supplies will arrive the Friday before the Monday event. In this case, the vaccine must be removed from the Styrofoam cooler and placed in refrigeration. It must not be frozen. If the vaccine is not refrigerated over the weekend it will not be usable the day of your clinic. Do not put the entire Styrofoam cooler in refrigeration, just the vials of vaccine.

In other words, responsibility for receiving, handling, storing and protecting the valuable materials for an event falls on the corporation. Worse, the corporation is responsible for improper handling of vaccine and resulting spoilage. And whose job is it to properly pack and return unused vaccine in order to avoid being charged for unused product? Most likely, corporate personnel.

And now you know one way a low price "national" vendor is able to offer that attractive, low price per injection.

US:

1. VSA / HFA will NEVER require client personnel to handle product or supplies. One of the responsibilities of our nurse coordinators is to personally oversee receipt and proper deployment of all vaccines and supplies and, where appropriate, equipment. That's our job, not yours.
2. VSA / HFA charges on a per injection basis. A client is NEVER charged for unused vaccine and supplies. Quantities shipped for an event are based on employee registration. Handling of any overage is the responsibility of the nurse coordinator.

Always remember, the bitter taste of poor quality lasts long after the sweet smell of low price has faded!

• Businesses and the Workplace
  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/workplace/

• Key Facts about Influenza and the Influenza Vaccine
  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm

• Preventing the Flu
  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm

• FACT SHEET - Influenza Symptoms, Protection, and What to Do If You Get Sick
  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms.htm

• Influenza (the Flu) - Questions & Answers
  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/

• Information for Specific Groups
  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/groups.htm

• Understanding Flu Terms
  http://www.pandemicflu.gov/

People at high risk for complications from the flu:

• People 65 years and older;
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that house those with long-term illnesses;
• Adults and children 6 months and older with chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma;
• Adults and children 6 months and older who needed regular medical care or were in a hospital during the previous year because of a metabolic disease (like diabetes), chronic kidney disease, or weakened immune system (including immune system problems caused by medicines or by infection with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV/AIDS]);
• Children 6 months to 18 years of age who are on long-term aspirin therapy. (Children given aspirin while they have influenza are at risk of Reye syndrome.);
• Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
• All children 6 to 23 months of age;
• People with any condition that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions (that is, a condition that makes it hard to breathe or swallow, such as brain injury or disease, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other nerve or muscle disorders.)

People 50 to 64 years of age: Nearly one-third of people 50 to 64 years of age in the United States have one or more medical conditions that place them at increased risk for serious flu complications.

People who can transmit flu to others at high risk for complications: Any person in close contact with someone in a high-risk group (see above) should get vaccinated. This includes all health-care workers, caregivers of children 6 to 23 months of age, and close contacts of people 65 years and older.

The Centers for Disease Control has identified people who should get vaccinated for pneumonia each year. They are:

• People 65 and older;
• People with chronic heart, lung, or liver disease;
• People with diabetes;
• People with suppressed immune systems;
• People who have had their spleen removed or have sickle cell anemia;
• People who have leakage of spinal fluid or a chronic kidney condition that causes loss of protein through urine;
• People with organ or bone marrow transplants;
• People with chronic kidney failure.