Several large employers in New York have received the vaccine for H1N1 flu (formerly known as swine flu), Businessweek reports.
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Download NowThe magazine reports that New York 's Department of Health & Mental Hygiene has approved 29 orders for the vaccine from employers, including 13 employers who have already received small quantities of the vaccine.
The list of 29 employers includes Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Time Warner, and JPMorgan Chase.
In June the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert from stage 5 to stage 6 in because of the spread of the H1N1 virus, declaring the first pandemic since 1968. Health officials have been encouraging employers to prepare their workplace for both the H1N1 and seasonal flu.
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 CDC said that once the demand for vaccine for the prioritized groups has been met at the local level, programs and providers should begin vaccinating everyone from ages 25 through 64 years.
Health officials are recommending that the H1N1 vaccine be used alongside the seasonal flu vaccine.
HR.BLR.com's Pandemic Planning Resource Center has dozens of resources to help prepare your workplace for H1N1 flu, including checklists, policies, posters, and training.
Source: Businessweek