Getting sick with the flu is a pretty good example of the relevance of Total Worker Health™. In the end, it doesn’t matter much if you pick it up at work – from a patient or co-worker – on the bus, or at your child’s daycare – you still get sick. You still feel lousy, miss work (or choose to infect others around you and work ineffectively) and miss personal events.
Getting good sleep, exercising, eating well, and reducing unhealthy life stress helps us strengthen our immune system to keep us healthy. This month at OHSU, and led by our Healthy Team Healthy U Program, it is Influenza Prevention Month. If you walk the corridors of OHSU buildings, you might just see the poster with tips for preventing the flu. Without a doubt, getting a flu vaccine is one of the best ways to prevent infection. Does your employer educate your workforce about the flu vaccine, offer it onsite and offer incentives to receive the vaccination? Have you gotten yours yet?
Looking for more information? Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Oregon Health Authority Public Health to learn more.
Resources:
