Letter to the Editor
Adult Vaccination Rates: Time and Productivity To the Editor: Rittle (2014) outlined in his recent article, “Can Increasing Adult Vaccination Rates Reduce Lost Time and Increase Productivity?,” that vaccination is an essential tool for promoting worker health and employers should take advantage of this tool by offering vaccines at the workplace. According to a recent report from Brazil, the effectiveness and efficiency of influenza vaccination for employers has been supported. However, it was noted that “the size of the benefit will depend upon who normally absorbs the costs of treating influenza and compensating workers for lost work time due to illness, as well as the type of company in which the immunization program is applied” (Burckel et al., 1999). Similar situations have also been documented in Malaysia and Colombia (Morales, 2004; Samad et al., 2006). However, some employers, especially those in the developing world, will not cover the cost of the vaccine for their employees. Disease immunity is a global problem that should be addressed by occupational health professionals worldwide.
488
REFERENCES
Burckel, E., Ashraf, T., de Sousa Filho, J. P., Forleo Neto, E., Guarino, H., Yauti, C., . . . Champion, L. (1999). Economic impact of providing workplace influenza vaccination: A model and case study application at a Brazilian pharma-chemical company. Pharmacoeconomics, 16, 563-576. Morales, A., Martinez, M. M., Tasset-Tisseau, A., Rey, E., Baron-Papillon, F., & Follet, A. (2004). Costs and benefits of influenza vaccination and work productivity in a Colombian company from the employer’s perspective. Value Health, 7, 433-441. Rittle, C. (2014). Can increasing adult vaccination rates reduce lost time and increase productivity? Workplace Health and Safety, 12, 508-515. doi:10.3928/2165079920140909-02 Samad, A. H., Usul, M. H., Zakaria, D., Ismail, R., Tasset-Tisseau, A., Baron-Papillon, F., & Follet, A. (2006). Workplace vaccination against influenza in Malaysia: Does the employer benefit? Journal of Occupational Health, 48, 1-10.
Sim Sai Tin, MD Viroj Wiwanitkit, MD Shantou, China The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Reply: I wish to respond to the letter to the editor submitted by Drs. Tin and Wiwanitkit in response to my recent article. I agree that “disease immunity is a global problem that should
be addressed by occupational health professionals worldwide.” The authors noted that not all employers will “cover the cost of the vaccine for their employees.” As evidenced by the references, the article was primarily focused on employers in the United States. I recognize that not all employers around the world will subsidize the cost of vaccines for employees. This reinforces the first summary point included in the article: “All providers must educate the public about the need for adult vaccines.” Occupational health professionals must continue to recommend all applicable vaccines at every opportunity. The focus needs to remain on the risks of not vaccinating and the public health benefits of vaccinating all adults. It is only through persistent efforts that employers around the world will begin to recognize the benefits of universal adult vaccination. Chad Rittle, DNP, MPH, RN, FAAOHN Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. doi:10.3928/21650799-20141118-01
Copyright © American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. Downloaded from whs.sagepub.com at Bobst Library, New York University on August 30, 2015
Adult Vaccination Rates: Time and Productivity To the Editor: Rittle (2014) outlined in his recent article, “Can Increasing Adult Vaccination Rates Reduce Lost Time and Increase Productivity?,” that vaccination is an essential tool for promoting worker health and employers should take advantage of this tool by offering vaccines at the workplace. According to a recent report from Brazil, the effectiveness and efficiency of influenza vaccination for employers has been supported. However, it was noted that “the size of the benefit will depend upon who normally absorbs the costs of treating influenza and compensating workers for lost work time due to illness, as well as the type of company in which the immunization program is applied” (Burckel et al., 1999). Similar situations have also been documented in Malaysia and Colombia (Morales, 2004; Samad et al., 2006). However, some employers, especially those in the developing world, will not cover the cost of the vaccine for their employees. Disease immunity is a global problem that should be addressed by occupational health professionals worldwide.
488
REFERENCES
Burckel, E., Ashraf, T., de Sousa Filho, J. P., Forleo Neto, E., Guarino, H., Yauti, C., . . . Champion, L. (1999). Economic impact of providing workplace influenza vaccination: A model and case study application at a Brazilian pharma-chemical company. Pharmacoeconomics, 16, 563-576. Morales, A., Martinez, M. M., Tasset-Tisseau, A., Rey, E., Baron-Papillon, F., & Follet, A. (2004). Costs and benefits of influenza vaccination and work productivity in a Colombian company from the employer’s perspective. Value Health, 7, 433-441. Rittle, C. (2014). Can increasing adult vaccination rates reduce lost time and increase productivity? Workplace Health and Safety, 12, 508-515. doi:10.3928/2165079920140909-02 Samad, A. H., Usul, M. H., Zakaria, D., Ismail, R., Tasset-Tisseau, A., Baron-Papillon, F., & Follet, A. (2006). Workplace vaccination against influenza in Malaysia: Does the employer benefit? Journal of Occupational Health, 48, 1-10.
Sim Sai Tin, MD Viroj Wiwanitkit, MD Shantou, China The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Reply: I wish to respond to the letter to the editor submitted by Drs. Tin and Wiwanitkit in response to my recent article. I agree that “disease immunity is a global problem that should
be addressed by occupational health professionals worldwide.” The authors noted that not all employers will “cover the cost of the vaccine for their employees.” As evidenced by the references, the article was primarily focused on employers in the United States. I recognize that not all employers around the world will subsidize the cost of vaccines for employees. This reinforces the first summary point included in the article: “All providers must educate the public about the need for adult vaccines.” Occupational health professionals must continue to recommend all applicable vaccines at every opportunity. The focus needs to remain on the risks of not vaccinating and the public health benefits of vaccinating all adults. It is only through persistent efforts that employers around the world will begin to recognize the benefits of universal adult vaccination. Chad Rittle, DNP, MPH, RN, FAAOHN Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. doi:10.3928/21650799-20141118-01
Copyright © American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. Downloaded from whs.sagepub.com at Bobst Library, New York University on August 30, 2015
