An Employer’s Guide to Hosting a Vaccine Clinic

nurse giving woman vaccine in arm

 

Fall is almost here, which means not only the much-anticipated start of pumpkin season but also the arrival of flu season. Back-to-school and more indoor gatherings as the weather changes make it easier for viruses to spread. This leaves you and your employees more susceptible to catching the flu and other nasty bugs during this time of year, leading to increased absenteeism and disruptions to your business.

But did you know that you may have the power to help protect your employees from the flu this season? If your health plan carrier allows it, you can host a vaccine clinic at your office and offer free flu shots to your staff. In this blog, we’ll run through the various benefits of hosting a vaccine clinic, as well as how to best plan and promote a clinic at your office.

How Employees Can Access Vaccinations

When it comes to protecting yourself and your family from the flu, COVID-19, pneumonia, and other preventable illnesses, there are several convenient ways to get vaccinated. Under many health plans, vaccines are covered 100% when administered by an in-network provider. This gives your employees a range of options for receiving the shots they need:

  • Primary Care Providers: Employees can schedule an appointment with their regular doctor or pediatrician to receive flu shots and other vaccinations during a routine visit.
  • In-Network Doctor’s Office or Pharmacy: Many doctor’s offices and pharmacies, such as those at major grocery chains or drug stores, offer vaccinations on a walk-in or appointment basis, making it easy to stop in for a flu shot.
  • Contracted Providers: Some health plans may partner with specific local providers or clinics, giving employees additional options for where to get vaccinated.
  • Employer-Sponsored Vaccine Clinics: If offered, an on-site clinic at the office is one of the most convenient ways for employees to get vaccinated, saving them the time and hassle of scheduling an outside appointment.

While there are plenty of ways to get vaccinated, offering a clinic at the office is often the easiest option for employees. By bringing the vaccines directly to them, you make it more likely they’ll take advantage of this health benefit. Plus, as we’ll discuss next, employer-sponsored clinics can boost participation and help create a healthier, more productive workplace.

Benefits of Hosting a Vaccine Clinic at Your Office

Hosting a free vaccine clinic at your office is the best thing you can do to help ensure your employees don’t get sick this flu season. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by 40% to 60% among the overall population. This means that your vaccinated employees are less likely to need to take sick days, which can be costly to your business and slow down productivity. Plus, when your employees are healthy, they can focus better, work faster, and collaborate more effectively.

A vaccine clinic also lets your employees avoid the stress and hassle of scheduling time away from work to get their flu shots. Hosting a clinic at your office gives your employees convenient, easy access to vaccinations, making it more likely they’ll actually get vaccinated. Free, on-site vaccines can also help boost morale by showing your employees that you care about their well-being.

How to Prepare For Your Vaccine Clinic

Many health plans already cover vaccine clinics, making it easy to set up this great added benefit for your employees. After getting buy-in from your company’s senior management, you’ll want to identify a person or team to coordinate the clinic. At many businesses, occupational health personnel or workplace safety staff will lead these efforts. From there, work with your health plan carrier to determine whether you will need to contract an outside provider of flu vaccination services, such as a local pharmacy. If your company has multiple offices, consider hosting a clinic at each location so that all of your employees have the opportunity to get vaccinated.

Now, you’re ready to schedule the clinic. Flu activity often begins to increase in October, commonly reaching its peak between December and February. For this reason, we recommend hosting your clinic between September and October so your employees can get vaccinated before flu season is fully underway. Encourage managers and supervisors to allow their team members to attend the vaccine clinic during the work day without needing to clock out.

Once you’ve planned your clinic, don’t forget to promote it! You can promote your clinic through company communications like email or intranet, posters around the office, or even your company’s social media channels. On the day of, consider offering refreshments, playing music, and setting up space for your employees to take a break from their work, relax, and connect with each other. These are all great ways to encourage participation and help make the event feel more fun.

Start Planning Your Vaccine Clinic Today!

As you can see, hosting a vaccine clinic at your office is a win-win. By helping protect your employees from the flu, you reduce costs and disruptions to your business while your employees enjoy the convenience and care of getting vaccinated at work.

So don’t wait. If you have questions about how to set up a vaccine clinic at your office this fall, reach out to the IBG team today. We can help you review your benefits package to see what’s possible, then connect you with your insurance carrier to start getting your clinic set up.

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