More than 30,000 adults die every year from diseases that could easily be prevented by vaccination. Summit Health, the nation's leading provider of adult vaccinations (including flu, Pneumonia, and tetanus) and wellness screenings, has responded with an online "VacciNation" portal as part of its adult immunization services in advance of the 2011-2012 flu season.
Through the Summit Health VacciNation portal, participants will be able to learn about the variety of effective vaccines. Then, by answering a few questions about their current health status, they can determine which vaccines are right for them and any reasons why they should not have selected vaccines. The portal "analyzer" will determine if selected vaccines can be safely administered together, and participants will be able to schedule vaccinations from the comfort and convenience of their computers.
This year, health officials are persuading the public to get repeat shots before December in order to provide maximum protection during the flu season that will last from December 2011 through April 2012.
"Without the convenience of workplace wellness services, employees would inevitably delay˜if not skip entirely˜critical check-ups which can cost both the employee and employer thousands of dollars in medical treatment costs," says Richard Penington, chief executive officer and founder of Summit Health. "A 2010 Harvard Business Review article found that for every dollar spent by the employer for immunizations, medical costs fall by about $3.27 and absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73."
Designed for companies of all sizes, Summit's adult immunization services include:
- "VacciNation," a new dedicated online vaccination portal
- A wide range of adult vaccinations, including Influenza (flu), Tetanus, Tdap, Pneumonia, Hepatitis, MMR, Shingles, TB, and more
- Highly skilled and service-focused Nursing professionals
- Member communications and onsite/online "Lunch & Learn sessions"
- An online self-assessment questionnaire that enables participants to select the right vaccinations based on their specific needs/health risks
- Appointment booking for participants via Summit's online appointment system or a toll-free number with a live representative
- A dedicated program manager as a single point of contact
International travel exposure, work industry, and population demographics are all factors that employers should weigh when determining which additional vaccines should be offered to their workforce. Companies with exposure to international travel should offer vaccines for Influenza, Tetanus, Tdap, MMR and Shingles. Those in industries such as schools, medical, environmental and public service should offer Tetanus, Tdap, Hepatitis, Influenza, and Pneumonia vaccines.
Additionally, companies with a high percentage of female workers between ages 18-26 should offer HPV (cervical cancer), while companies with a high percentage of workers age 55 years and older should focus on increasing vaccination rates for Influenza and Pneumonia.
Summit Health experts recommend that employers make the Influenza vaccination available annually in their workplace. For additional information on Summit Health's VacciNation portal and adult vaccination offerings, visit http://www.summithealth.com/immunizations.html.
