Worksite Clinics Save Time Off from Work, Vaccines Help People Avoid Sick
Days
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 29, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The flu is not
only a miserable illness, it is also a costly and potentially dangerous
one. As employees stay home shivering in bed, their valuable work
productivity is lost. Plus, the flu can be a very serious illness, with
complications that can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus
infections, and worse. (1) One of the best ways to avoid the flu is to get
vaccinated against it. On-site flu shot clinics are a convenient and
time-saving way to encourage vaccination, and CIGNA HealthCare is making it
easy for employers to offer them.
CIGNA HealthCare now offers on-site flu clinics to its employer clients
in alliance with Summit Health(TM) (formerly known as Retail Health
Network). Summit is one of the nation's leading providers of on-site health
screening and immunization programs. Clinics, complete with flu vaccines,
will be held at customer worksites and can be scheduled day or night,
weekdays or weekends, to accommodate employer needs.
"The flu is contagious and when employees bring flu to the workplace,
it is very likely to spread. A CIGNA On-Site Flu Clinic is an easy way to
safeguard a business's most important asset - its people - against the
flu," said Dr. Allen Wolfe, CIGNA's national medical director for health
advocacy. "In addition to avoiding time away from work, the flu vaccine
helps protect employees and their families from what can be very serious
complications associated with the illness."
While many people think of the flu as a nuisance, the facts show just
how serious it can be.
Every year in the United States, on average:
-- 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the flu(2)
-- more than 200,000 people are hospitalized due to flu complications(3)
-- about 36,000 people die from flu(4)
Flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughing or
sneezing.(5) The duration of illness can be days to weeks.(6) Anyone who
would like to reduce their chance of getting the flu may get a vaccination.
Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain
health conditions, are at higher risk for serious flu complications and are
strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.(7)
Recent research indicates that 12,000 lives could be saved each year if
the portion of adults ages 50 and older who get the flu immunization each
year were increased to 90 percent. Currently, only an estimated 37 percent
of people in this age group get the flu shot.(8)
CIGNA HealthCare's on-site flu clinics, along with other on-site health
and wellness screenings, are part of the company's comprehensive approach
to promoting health and wellness and enabling healthy behavior among
employees through knowledge, skills, motivation and opportunity.
About CIGNA HealthCare
CIGNA HealthCare, based in Bloomfield, CT, provides medical benefits
plans, dental coverage, behavioral health coverage, pharmacy benefits and
products and services that integrate and analyze information to support
consumerism and health advocacy. "CIGNA HealthCare" is a registered service
mark of CIGNA Intellectual Property, Inc., licensed for use by CIGNA
Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its operating subsidiaries, including
Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. Products and services are
provided by such operating subsidiaries, and not by CIGNA Corporation. For
more information, visit http://www.cigna.com.
About Summit Health(TM)
Summit Health(TM) Inc., headquartered in Southfield, MI, is one of the
nation's leading providers of on-site health screening and immunization
programs. In 2006, under the name of Retail Health Network, Summit
Health(TM) conducted over 10,000 on-site health screening and flu shot
clinics across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Additional information on
Summit Health(TM) can be found at http://www.summithealth.com.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
8 Preventative Care: A National Profile on Use, Disparities, and Health
Benefits; Partnership for Prevention, http://www.prevent.org/ncpp, 2007
SOURCE CIGNA HealthCare
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Related links:
http://www.cigna.com
http://www.summithealth.com http://www.prevent.org/ncpp
CONTACT:
Judy Hartling of CIGNA HealthCare,
+1-860-226-6272, judy.hartling@cigna.com
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