A thriving workplace starts with healthy employees. Beyond boosting productivity, maintaining employee health helps reduce absenteeism and creates a safer, more engaged work environment. Vaccinations are a cornerstone of workplace wellness, offering protection against preventable diseases that can disrupt daily operations. Denise Strickland, Immunization Division Director for the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), explains how vaccinations are a vital tool for employers and employees alike.
Why Vaccinations Matter in the Workplace
“Vaccination offers a way for employees to decrease time missed from work due to illness while also protecting their fellow workers and customers,” says Strickland. Seasonal illnesses like the flu and COVID-19 can sweep through workplaces, leading to significant absenteeism. For example, roughly 10% of unvaccinated adults contract the flu each year, with about half experiencing symptoms severe enough to miss work.
However, workplaces with high vaccination rates see dramatic improvements. Research shows that if 90% of employees are vaccinated, the overall attack rate of illness can drop by 78%, reducing lost productivity and protecting clients, customers and colleagues alike.
New Guidelines and Best Practices
Employers should be aware of updated recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). In October 2024, ACIP recommended a single dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for all adults aged 50 and older, particularly those with an unknown vaccination history. This update aims to improve disease prevention in adults aged 50-64, particularly among groups experiencing higher disease rates.
Key Vaccines for Working Adults
“Influenza, Tdap and COVID-19 vaccines are the most important for working adults,” says Strickland. These vaccines help protect against highly contagious diseases that can spread quickly in communal environments. Other critical vaccines include pneumococcal vaccine, hepatitis A and B, HPV and the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine.
Vaccines don’t just protect the individual; they create a ripple effect of safety. “By getting vaccinated, you can keep yourself from getting sick and prevent spreading germs to others,” Strickland adds. This is especially crucial during peak flu and respiratory illness seasons, where workplaces can become hotspots for outbreaks.
Vaccines help immune systems fight infections faster and more effectively. They spark an immune response, helping the body fight off and remember the germ so it can attack it if the germ ever invades again.
Tips for Healthier Workplaces
Beyond vaccines, Strickland suggests simple practices for employees to stay healthier at work:
- Drink more water.
- Make healthy food choices/smart snack choices.
- Reduce caffeine consumption.
- Maintain good posture while sitting at your desk.
- Take regular breaks.
- Use good hygiene.
- Practice good stress management techniques.
Strickland also recommends employers implement these protocols for a healthier workplace:
- Encourage regular handwashing and provide hand sanitizer.
- Promote a “stay home when sick” policy to prevent the spread of illness.
- Remind employees to cover their cough.
Employers can promote healthy workplace practices by leading by example with healthy habits, encouraging open communication, offering growth opportunities, ensuring access to mental health benefits and prioritizing a healthy work-life balance.
Resources to Promote Workplace Vaccinations
The ADPH Immunization Division has numerous resources on their website that can be viewed, downloaded or printed to learn more about vaccinations and vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Immunization Division also has Public Health Educators who work to promote and provide health education to increase awareness of the importance of immunizations.
The Public Health Educator team engages with the community and aims to accomplish the Immunization Division’s goal of increasing immunization rates and reducing vaccine- preventable diseases by establishing and maintaining collaborative partnerships with different organizations across the state.
For more resources and tools to promote workplace vaccinations, visit the ADPH Immunization Division’s website at alabamapublichealth.gov/imm.
Recommended Vaccines and Frequency
To maintain health and safety in the workplace, the ADPH recommends the following vaccines for adults:
- Influenza (Flu) – Annually
- Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) – Once every 10 years
- COVID-19 – Stay up-to-date with boosters
- Pneumococcal (PCV) – For adults 50+ or those with health conditions
- Hepatitis A and B
- HPV (Human Papillomavirus) – Especially for younger adults
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
The Expert: Denise Strickland
Denise Strickland is currently the Immunization Division Director at the Alabama Department of Public Health. She graduated from Auburn University and was inspired to pursue a career in Public Health after her father had a major health issue. Prior to working at ADPH, she was a Classification Specialist at the Alabama Department of Corrections, where she was responsible for interviewing and classifying inmates to their least restrictive custodial placement.
