NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, November 16, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) today released “Creating a Vaccination-Friendly Culture: What Employers Can Do,” a guide to help HR and benefit leaders develop and implement strategies to boost vaccination rates in employee populations and beyond.

Uptake of all recommended vaccinations is low across the U.S. population, with average rates between 20% and 60%. This statistic is especially troubling given the potential loss of life, risk of protracted illnesses and costs — both direct and indirect — of the diseases these vaccines are intended to prevent. Each year, for example, up to 20% of the U.S. population catches the flu; adults ages 18-64 have accounted for nearly 42% of reported flu hospitalizations, resulting in absenteeism, lost employee productivity and costly medical bills. In fact, the CDC has reported that medical expenses related to flu cost an estimated $10.4 billion annually. Lost wages add another $16.3 billion.

“The public’s mixed response to COVID-19 vaccines has highlighted the urgent need to create a more vaccination-friendly culture if we are to reap the benefits of scientific advances in fighting disease and illness in the future,” said Candice Sherman, CEO, NEBGH. “The data shows that employers are a trusted source of information and therefore in a unique position to fight misinformation, promote vaccination as an essential part of overall wellness and set an example by communicating their commitment to vaccination. We developed this guide to provide employers with the tools and resources they need to create a vaccination-friendly culture in the workplace.”

This 40-page guide includes information on vaccination history, uptake, racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination status and barriers to vaccination, and the results of a survey of 103 large employers about their vaccination policies. The survey, conducted by NEBGH, found most employers (85%) don’t set targets for employees to be vaccinated while 75% cited misinformation and vaccine hesitancy as barriers to boosting vaccination rates among their employees. The guide features a comprehensive discussion of eight steps employers can take to increase vaccination rates. These include:

• Provide information
• Make it easy for employees to get vaccinated
• Communicate employers’ commitment to vaccination
• Collaborate with DEI leaders and Employee Resource Groups
• Fight misinformation
• Promote immune fitness as part of well-being strategy
• Ensure vaccines won’t cost employees one penny
• Collection vaccination data among employees

“The critical focus over the past two years has been on vaccinations to fight COVID-19, but employers recognize that vaccinations against other diseases and illnesses can play a significant role in improving the overall health and well-being of their employees, families and beyond. And it starts with creating a vaccination-friendly culture. We are hopeful that employers will take specific actions described in the guide and work hard to boost vaccination rates in the coming years,” said Sherman.

The guide is available to employers and the public at no cost and can be accessed here.

About Northeast Business Group on Health

NEBGH is an employer-led, multi-stakeholder coalition that empowers members to drive excellence in health and achieve the highest value in healthcare delivery and the consumer experience. NEBGH employer/purchaser members cover 6 million lives in the U.S. and 10 million globally.

Ed Emerman
Eagle Public Relations
+1 609-240-2766
eemerman@eaglepr.com

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