Sniffling coworkers, wheezing kids and running out of tissues or hand sanitizer can make the months of flu season extremely stressful. Every year, American businesses lose billions of dollars in sick days and lost productivity. Experts estimate the economy will lose about $20 billion in productivity to workers who either stay home with the flu or come to work too sick to focus. The shortage of supply in the flu vaccination this year has increased the likelihood that people will catch the flu. This year, about 20 percent of adults will catch the flu, but here are some of the actions you can take to reduce your office’s risk of joining that number.

The number one way to keep your office healthy is to make sure sick people stay home. For those who haven’t caught the flu, the best way to prevent it is the flu vaccination. It’s offered at urgent care locations such as AFC Urgent Care, as well as many pharmacies. These are the two best ways to prevent the flu in the workplace because they both contribute to a phenomenon known as “herd immunity,” which prevents people from catching the flu because the density of the virus doesn’t become high enough to be infectious.

There are other ways to prevent the spread of the flu virus around the office, however. To kill the virus in office spaces and prevent its spread to other surfaces, AFC Urgent Care recommends that employers build “Fight the Office Flu Kits” for their employees.

Many see the flu as a minor distraction or inconvenience, but it can be a fatal disease. The elderly and the very young are the most at risk for complications from the flu, but it doesn’t hurt to protect yourself if you’re not among those groups. Given the cost of the flu, it makes sense to take preventive measures to protect employees. So visit your local AFC Urgent Care to get a flu shot today!

Given the cost of the flu, it makes sense to take preventive measures to protect employees. So visit your local AFC Urgent Care to get a flu shot today!

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