The following is a series of emails within my company which should be self explanatory (I have some questions which are detailed at the end of the series of emails):

To all staff

Due to the high number of people not turning up for their Flu vaccinations we have approximately 20 more vaccinations left over. If anyone has not yet taken advantage of this vaccination and would like it, please could you contact me. The last clinic will be held next Wednesday 1st December between 08.00and 09.00am.

Assistant Company Nurse

To all staff

It is very disappointing to here that so many members of staff failed to turn up for their flu jab. It is to be remembered that this is part of an ongoing health and safety cultural progression to encourage and keep everyone as healthy as possible.

As a responsible employer (the company) endeavours to put in place all reasonable practical steps to maintain and exceed good health and safety procedures and safe systems of work all of which ultimately leads to as safe a working environment for staff.

It is also to be remembered that the company pays for these jabs.

If anyone would like to discuss the Health and Safety Culture of the company please contact me on Ext ????.

Health and Safety Manager

To Health and Safety Manager

How up to scratch are you on the dangers of flu vaccine,(have a look on Utube) please do not fall for the drug company marketing. Flu is best kept at pay by the following:

• Strong immune system,
• Healthy lifestyle.
• Healthy varied diet,
• frequent exercise,
• low alcohol intake,
• and no smoking,

I hope these tips have been useful and I would like to come and discuss H&S Culture in the company with you. Next week my availability is as follows:

Monday 9.45-11am
Thurs 9.45-11am
Fri 12.30-1.30pm

Member of staff

To Both Company Nurses – good afternoon.

Any comments on email above? I have googled the “Dangers of flu vaccination” and most hits all come from America. Any published research here in the UK or anything from HPA would be helpful.

Health and Safety Manger

To Health and Safety Manager

I absolutely agree with the Member of Staff’s' views. However the fit and healthy a lifestyle we all lead, bottom line is: we are front line and very susceptible to picking up whatever is going around. Also bear in mind how tired we all get. When one is tired ++, irrespective of lifestyle, we are more at risk.

School Nurse

QUESTIONS / OBSERVATIONS

1. IS THERE ANY PUBLISHED INFORMATION REGARDING THE FLU VACCINATION WHICH WOULD PRECLUDE ANY OF YOU OUT THERE NOT RECOMMENDING OFFERING YOUR WORKFORCE THE JAB?

2. I HAD A VERY FRUITFUL DISCUSSION IN RESPECT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY CULTURE WITH THE MEMBER OF STAFF. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE AGREED TO DISAGREE. HE BARKED ON ABOUT THE NANNY STATE AND I COUNTERED WITH BEING A RESPONSBILE EMPLOYER AND OFFERING THE JAB AT COMPANY EXPENSE TO THOSE WHO WANTED IT.

Rich 77

I personally feel that the tone of the e-mail could have been construed by some as "nannying" although not by me!

It appears that there may be a need for more effective communication the outset when the flu jabs are planned and your means of estimating the requirements.

For the past 5 years, we have been averaging an uptake of 150 doses for the free seasonal flu vaccinations for a site that has 380 employees and 80 on-site contractors where the vast majority of the employees are white-collar and degree educated.

We keep it voluntary and start the publicity about one month in advance, with several reminders.


It is administered by our occupational health service provider, who is based off-site. The OH provider provides the nurse and vaccine doses. We provide a room for this purpose and it is done over a 3 week period ( one day in each week ) so that there is maximum coverage in case there are personnel travelling, on leave etc. The appointments are filled in by the employees on a spreadsheet on our LAN. It works like clockwork. We have minimal waste, around 5 in the 150 due to not being able to take the vaccine as it is contra-indicated or genuinely urgent work.

SEASONAL FLU VACCINATION: WHO SHOULD HAVE IT AND WHY--from Department of Health


http://www.dh.gov.uk/pro...groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_119314.pdf

Wooah, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing! Is the flu vaccine effective, well yes, vaccination has been proven to be effective since it's discovery. Yes, the flu vaccine is effective against only a limited number of pathogens, but against those pathogens it is effective. To say it is not effective because it's effectiveness is targetted is like saying jet planes can't fly because they can only take off at airports.

And what's all this guff about nannying??? Don't buy the argument and find the attitude strange.

Yes, you can wander through wards and find old people who have had the flu vaccine and are ill, but so what? Meaningless without some statistical context.

And how on earth do you 'have a strong immune system'? You can't give it a workout you know; absolute tosh.

For the record, I have asthma and I have been advised not to bother this year, as I have no history of respiratory illness (apart from the asthma) and I'm under 65,

John

As my scientific hero Dr Ben Goldacre says, "the plural of anecdote isn't 'Data' "

However -

I had the flu jab (I get it on the NHS cos I'm diabetic). My partner didn't. I've spent the last two weeks mopping her fevered brow and telling her she'll feel better soon. Next year she's having it too!

I wonder if you could have made your point without the need to publish such e mails? I too was a little surprised at the ‘tone’ used.

I assume that you are talking about the seasonal flu vaccination (although before I am leapt on, I understand that this year‘s is a combined seasonal/swine flu dose)?

I understand that the seasonal flu vaccine is developed each year on the basis of a predication of the flu virus strain(s) that are likely to be prevalent in the coming season. The vaccine will therefore protect those who have been vaccinated against those strains.

Peoples immune systems do vary, some have a suppressed or compromised system for various reasons, so in that respect I don’t think that it is unreasonable to describe some people as having a stronger immune system than others. Of course that isn’t something that is readily determined, but is nevertheless a fact.

I am not sure if the vaccine is ‘safe’, and I wonder what that actually means. My understanding is that it is based on an ‘deactivated’ virus. However, as John has said influenza is a potentially serious condition that has the potential to make people seriously ill for quite some time, and can in some cases (mainly to those in the ‘at risk‘ groups), be fatal.

Now is it worth it? Depends on any number of factors, such as your sector, the virulence of the strain in any one year, whether the vaccine prediction was accurate, the demographic of your workforce, the value you place in customer service etc.

But to try and help put it into context. ’We’ offered the flu jab to ’front line’ staff for a number of years. But then due to budget restrictions we stopped offering it. The following year, we were asked again whether we were going to offer the jab. My (admittedly) quick analysis of previous years sickness (when we did not offer the jab) did not suggest that sickness levels were any higher than the previous year, or that it was likely that we had anyone off with 'genuine' flu. Many had a day off here and there and this was recorded as ’cold/flu’ but as John has pointed out, if you have the flu, you know about it, and it doesn’t last a day or two, more often substantially longer.

I suggest that if you want to offer it fine, but don’t expect it to be some miracle cure for all seasonal bugs, and don’t try and beat people through the door with a stick, it MUST remain a personal choice. I personally don’t believe that applying such pressure is justification for trying to demonstrate a positive culture. Oh no!

I remain unconvinced.
You need to look into the matter more.
In healthy adults the rate of infection of those vaccinated versus those not vaccinated disappears into the statistical noise, some say it is as high as a 25% reduction, but selection bias may have more to do with those figures than reality.
In children there is no benefit.
In elderly/sick there is a lower rate of admission for serious illness for those vaccinated, note that there is no reduced rate of infection.
Just because your partner "got it" and you didn't does not mean a thing....you may well have had "it" donkeys years ago....
You need to talk to doctors more....and not your GP....who gets money for the injections.
You also need to consider that the companies making the vaccine also make money.

Hi Farrell

Bit of a negative reply, IMO. You have to see the whole picture. The more "front line" staff off sick the more pressure it places on those doing their own job and the job of those absent. I have seen this state of affairs cause stress leading to more people of work and in a couple of cases a nervous breakdown.

Hence my company's policy to do everything we can to keep the workforce healthy. Like any good employer should.

Rich

Don't think it's negative, I am in the same boat with our company and all staff are offered the flu jab, we don't sell it under the health and safety and culture umberella it's occupational health, same with having activities for health reasons not health and safety. For me 'health' is diferent when sold in this way.

The HSE say a lot of things like sensible risk assessments but are nowhere to be seen when required. I am of the opinion that if you start getting mixed up in everything else you lose your role. We are not there to provide a health service we are there to prevent in health through workplace activities.

If I worried about all those people who are obese, I would end up out of a job for not being diverse, it has nothing to do with health and safety until you are asking them to carryout a task that may put there health and safety at risk.

Wasn't the main purpose of introducing the influenza vaccination for the most vunerable people in society?

This is more like a seasonal pill taking exercise but then again offering it to employees on the basis that they may be more vunerable to flu may have some advantage without confrontational emails/discussion etc

If you wander through the "research" figures you will note that the drug companies say it works, but facts say another thing.
The "facts" of the matter are that:
A: Governments lie
B: Large companies lie.
Lots of money involved, as in lots.......
I have yet to see a truly honest piece of research by any drug companies.
I remember thalidomide.
And there are many more....

Thanks PETE48 for your constructive reply. Will take on board all other comments as well.

Rich