Why is fighting the tripledemic – COVID-19, flu, and RSV – important for every business and every employee? In addition to keeping your team healthy and working, flu season is once again colliding with the COVID-19 pandemic this year. RSV is spiking too.
Business owners and leaders play a vital role in encouraging employees to get the flu vaccine. Here are answers to 4 frequently asked questions about the tripledemic:
How will COVID-19 impact flu season?
Even though the number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths resulting from the flu were unusually low during the pandemic, many experts are predicting the flu could be much worse this year. Severe cases are still possible.
In addition, our healthcare system has been non-stop tested and pushed to the brink throughout this pandemic. It’s critical that we do everything we can to prevent people from needing urgent care, whether that’s because of the flu, COVID-19, or RSV. Vaccines will keep people out of hospitals and save lives.
What are the potential costs to businesses because of the flu?
In the past, the flu was estimated to cost the U.S. economy over $80 billion annually. Prevention is a smart investment for business that can help you save big and help your employees. American workers previously missed 111 million workdays because of the flu and lost over $16 billion in earnings each year.
What do employees need to know about both COVID-19 and flu vaccinations?
Many employees may need help understanding the importance of getting a flu vaccine or may be unsure of where to go. Businesses can make a huge difference by providing vouchers, offering vaccination programs at the workplace, or even mandating vaccination.
Furthermore, experts say it’s safe to get both vaccines at the same time for the flu and COVID-19. Watch here for White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish K. Jha comments and watch here for CDC Director Rochelle Walensky’s comments about this during our Path Forward series.
Where can I find more tripledemic resources for employees?
If you’re ready to join businesses across the country in leading the fight against the flu, download our guide today for more information on how to encourage your employees to get vaccinated.
