AMS Consulting, Inc.
Your Total Solution Corporate Health Provider
Flu Vaccine
To schedule your on-site Flu clinic today, please contact us by clicking the link or calling 866-520-4FLU (4358).
What is seasonal influenza (flu)?
Seasonal influenza, commonly called "the flu," is caused by influenza viruses, which infect the respiratory tract (i.e., the nose, throat, lungs). Unlike many other viral respiratory infections, such as the common cold, the flu can cause severe illness and life-threatening complications in many people. The best way to prevent seasonal flu is by getting a seasonal flu vaccination each year. In the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 226,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications, and; about 36,000 people die from seasonal flu-related causes. Some people, such as older people, young children, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
What are the symptoms of the flu?
Influenza is a respiratory illness.
People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:
- Fever or feeling feverish/chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
How does the flu spread?
The main way that influenza viruses are thought to spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. (This is called "droplet spread.") This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled (generally up to 3 feet) through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. The viruses also can spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else’s mouth or nose) before washing their hands.
What is the difference between a cold and the flu?
The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar flu-like symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.
When to Get Vaccinated Against Seasonal Flu?
Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September, or as soon as vaccine is available, and continue throughout the flu season which can last as late as May. This is because the timing and duration of flu seasons vary. While flu season can begin early as October, most of the time seasonal flu activity peaks in January or later.
Who Should Get Vaccinated?
On February 24, 2010 vaccine experts voted that everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year starting with the 2010-2011 influenza season. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for "universal" flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people. While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it’s especially important that certain people get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications.
Who Should Not Be Vaccinated Against Seasonal Flu
Some people should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician. They include:
- People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
- People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past.
- People who developed Guillian-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
- Children younger than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for use in this age group).
- People who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should wait to get vaccinated until their symptoms lessen.
Scheduling Your On-Site Flu Shot Clinic
AMS Consulting, Inc. can provide an on-site flu shot clinic, so you can help keep your workforce healthy and productive this year. The flu can be serious business. In fact, an average flu season results in 226,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths. With new flu strains threatening to make matters worse, it's even more important to protect your employees and your business from the negative impact of the flu.
When you schedule a flu shot clinic with AMS Consulting, you get:
- Turnkey services – You provide a room, a table, a trashcan, and we provide all supplies and staffing, from flu shot posters and clinic sign-up sheets to aftercare instructions and HIPAA forms
- Spanish– We can provide complete services for Spanish-speaking employees, including all written materials
- Nationwide reach – Get the same high-quality flu shot clinic at all your locations with one simple call
- Reduced employee downtime – We schedule your employees' flu shots within a certain time frame, so there is reduced downtime
To schedule your on-site Flu clinic today, please contact us by clicking the link or calling 866-520-4FLU (4358).