The Department of Homeland Security has published a guide to help small employers prepare for the H1N1 flu (swine flu) in 2009.

The department's Planning for 2009 H1N1 Influenza: A Preparedness Guide for Small Business includes tips for writing policies, recommendations for how to keep employees healthy, and answers to frequently asked questions.

In June, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic of the H1N1 virus by raising the alert level form Phase 5 to Phase 6, making the first time a pandemic has been declared since 1968. The move was a reflection of the spread of the virus across several continents, and wasn't a reflection of the severity of illness caused by the virus. In the United States, more than 5,000 people have been hospitalized and more than 300 people have died as a result of an H1N1 infection.

Health officials have been urging employers to prepare their workplace for H1N1, stepping up their efforts as the flu season draws near.

The federal health officials say employers should encourage employees to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. In addition, employees who are in a priority group identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should also receive the H1N1 vaccine. A H1N1 vaccine should be distributed nationally beginning in October, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that H1N1 vaccination efforts focus on 5 key groups of people:

• Pregnant women,
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age,
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel,
• Individuals between the ages of 6 months through 24 years of age, and
• People from ages 25 through 64 years who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

The guide is available in HR.BLR.com's Pandemic Planning Resource Center.

Links

• Planning for 2009 H1N1 Influenza: A Preparedness Guide for Small Business
• Pandemic Planning Resource Center