FLUFREE ZONE

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Influenza is a Serious Disease
Influenza and your business
You can protect yourself and your colleagues
from Influenza
Vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza
Benefits for you, your family and colleagues
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Influenza A Serious infectious viral disease
SCOTT W.G., SCOTT H.M. Economic Evaluation of
Vaccination against Influenza in New Zealand.
Pharmacoeconomics 1996.
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INFLUENZA is more severe and dramatically
different to the COMMON COLD
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• An Australian study estimated that
• influenza was responsible for
• a million medical consultations
• 20,000 to 40,000 hospitalisations
• 1,500 deaths
• and 1.5 million days off work each year

A total economic cost of of about 600 million
annually.
Aldrich R, Hensley MJ. Vaccination against
influenza infection. Thoracic Society of
Australia and New Zealand, Medical Journal of
Australia 1993 158 634-637
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Influenza is Very Contagious
A sneeze transmits flu at 167km/h covering a
distance of 5 metres in 1/10th of a second!
A case was reported in 1977, during a commercial
flight lasting four and a half hours, of a person
suffering from influenza who contaminated 72 of
other passengers.
Betts FR, Douglas RG, Mandell G.L., Douglas R.
G., Bennett J.E., Principles and practice of
infectious diseases, 3rd ed., 1990391306-25
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At all stages of the infection, influenza will
affect you
Betts FR, Douglas RG. Influenza virus. In
Mandell GL, et al (eds). Principles and Practice
of Infectious Diseases, 3rd edition. Churchill
Livingstone, Inc. 1990 p. 13061325.
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Healthy people of all ages are at risk of
catching the flu
Proportionate distribution of laboratory
confirmed influenza cases, by age groups, Canada,
2001-2002
Influenza in Canada. 2001 2002 CCDR. 15 March
2003. Vol 29. No 6p45-60
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Influenza and your business
10 12 of all absenteeism from work is caused
by the flu.
Leighton L, Williams M, Aubery D, Parker H.
Sickness absence following a campaign of
vaccination against influenza in the workplace.
Occup Med 199646146150.
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Influenza causes significant deterioration of
working ability
Influenza illness leads to a reduction in
computerised performance task by up to 57,
whereas alcohol only leads to a 510 reduction.
Leighton L, Williams M, Aubery D, Parker H.
Sickness absence following a campaign of
vaccination against influenza in the workplace.
Occup Med 199646146150.
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Vaccination can reduce sick leave due to a
reduction in Upper Respiratory Infection
A study involving 849 subjects aged between 18
and 64 in Minneapolis - St.Paul area, USA during
the 1994 -1995 flu season.
In the vaccinated group there was a
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Reduction in episodes of Upper Respiratory
Infection
Reduction in days of sick leave due to Upper
Respiratory Infection
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Reduction in visits to physician for Upper
Respiratory Infection
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Nichol KL, Lind A, Margolis KL, et al.The
effectiveness of vaccination against influenza in
healthy, working adults. New England Journal of
Medicine 1995333889893.
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Vaccination will reduce absenteeism
Study in 791 crew members from two Brazilian
airlines in 1998.
Number of lost workdays per 100 people
44 reduction of thenumber of lost workdays
28 days
16 days
Non Vaccinated
Vaccinated
MIXEAU M. S.A.G. et al. Efficacy of
anti-influenza immunisation in civilian air crew.
Abstract 46th International Congress of aviation
and space medicine.
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Vaccination is your best defence
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The Influenza Vaccine

• The vaccine must be administered annually as
  different strains of influenza can circulate each
  year.
• The strain for the current season is very
  carefully selected by experts including the WHO.
• The influenza vaccine is an inactivated vaccine
  and can not give you the flu.

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The Influenza Vaccine

• The vaccine is well tolerated and may be safely
  administered.
• The vaccine should not be administered to people
  allergic to eggs or chicken protein.
• Vaccination may give rise to local reactions that
  are generally mild and self limiting.

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Side Effects of Vaccination
Nichol KL, Margolis KL, Lind A et al. Side
effects associated with influenza vaccination in
healthy working adults a randomised
placebo-controlled trial. Arch.intern. Med.
19961561546-50.
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Benefits for You, Your Family, and Your Colleagues
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Protecting yourself from the flu improves your
comfort and general health.
Vaccination will
? Allow you to continue exercise and training
? Make you happy healthy
? Reduce potential stress
? Reduce potential medical consultation costs
?Allow you to enjoy your winter holidays
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If you have been vaccinated there will be less
chance of infecting your family
A household infected with flu can mean many weeks
of disruption to normal life leading to general
unhappiness and loss in lifestyle.
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Special care for at risk colleagues
Making your work place as flu free as possible
helps protect those colleagues who could get
seriously ill.

• Pregnant women
• Diabetics
• Asthmatics
• Patients with Chronic heart, lung or kidney
  disease
• Immuno-compromised Individuals

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Remember
Vaccination is your best defence.