What is vaccination?
Vaccination is a simple, inexpensive, and safe way to prevent people from getting contagious diseases. The vaccines strengthen the body’s immune system against infections. In other words, vaccines help the immune system to make antibodies. Keep in mind that vaccines contain attenuated germs or part of the germs’ genetic material, so they can not cause disease.
Why is vaccination important?
Currently, available vaccines protect us against at least 20 diseases. In the following, you can see the list of vaccines used in the US. Vaccination also saves more than three million lives worldwide each year. When we are vaccinated, we also help protect the people around us.
Unfortunately, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people who had to receive routine immunizations was declining, and this figure is a bit worrisome. The World Health Organization or WHO recommends that you do not miss out on essential vaccines, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
When people are vaccinated against the disease, the risk of getting the infection is reduced and the possibility of transmission is decreased. Therefore, if a high percentage of the population in a community is vaccinated, the possibility of pathogen transmission is reduced and this phenomenon is called “herd immunity”.
The list of approved vaccines in the United States is:
| Adenovirus | Anthrax | Diphtheria | Hepatitis A | Hepatitis B | Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Papillomavirus (HPV) | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | Japanese Encephalitis | Measles | Meningococcal | Mumps |
| Pertussis | Pneumococcal | Polio | Rabies | Rotavirus | Rubella |
| Shingles | Smallpox | Tetanus | Tuberculosis | Typhoid Fever | Varicella |
| Yellow Fever |
How are vaccines developed and tested?
When scientists develop a vaccine, they must first test its safety on animals. Clinical studies then begin in three phases. In the first phase, the new vaccine is tested on a small number of volunteers to determine its efficacy and the effective dose.
In the second phase, the newly designed vaccine is given to hundreds of volunteers to study the risk of side effects.
In the third phase of clinical studies, the vaccine will be given to thousands of volunteers. In this phase, the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine are still being studied.
After completing these steps, the data is collected and reviewed again. The vaccine then obtains the necessary approvals to enter the pharmaceutical market.
Who decides which vaccines are required?
Centers for disease control and prevention or CDC sets recommendations related to vaccination in children and adults. These recommendations contain the following information:
- Number of doses of each vaccine
- The timing between each dose
- Age at the time of vaccination
- Cautions and contraindications
CDC sets the immunization schedules based on the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Vaccination in the Workplace
The importance of vaccination in communities such as the workplace is quite evident. Employers can arrange for their employees to receive some essential vaccines in the workplace. The benefits of vaccination in the workplace for the employer are:
- Decreases cost by decreasing time missed from work to get vaccinated.
- Decreases cost by reducing absences due to illness, resulting in enhanced productivity.
- Vaccination is often covered under employee health plans.
- Improves morale
The benefits of vaccination in the workplace for employees are:
- Reduce absenteeism due to illness and see a doctor
- Improving health
- Convenience
- Improves morale
Therefore, business owners and employers should be aware that vaccination helps to enhance well-being in the workplace. It also has a significant effect on reducing costs and improving employee productivity. Influenza among employees aged 18 to 64 results in 75 million sick days and 200 million days of reduced work productivity, according to statistics released by the CDC.
The influenza vaccine is one of the essential vaccines that should be used during the flu season. Employers can arrange for their employees to receive the vaccine at their business location. If you can’t provide onsite vaccinations for your employees, you can encourage your employees to get flu shots.
To encourage vaccination among your employees, you can consider the following tips:
- Make it possible for your employees to take one or two hours off to get essential vaccines, including the flu.
- Use posters and flyers with educational content.
- You can make a post about the importance of vaccinations, including seasonal vaccinations, in company communications such as newspapers and emails.
- Help your employees find out where to go to get the vaccine.
- Encourage flu vaccination for employees’ families.
The Southern Nevada Occupational Health Center provides vaccination services to employers and employees in Las Vegas.
Which vaccines are mandatory for all staff?
The exact answer depends on your job and workplace. People who work in the following occupations are at higher risk of diseases, so vaccination is recommended for them:
- Healthcare workers
- Laboratory staff
- People who work with children
- People who work with certain communities
- People who work with animals
- Emergency and essential services workers
- Plumbers
As mentioned, seasonal vaccinations, such as the flu, are often done in the workplace.
What vaccines are required for healthcare workers?
Those who work in the health care system must receive the following vaccines:
- Hepatitis B
- Flu (Influenza)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella)
- Varicella (Chickenpox)
- Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
- Meningococcal
Vaccination services in Las Vegas
The Southern Nevada Occupational Health Center provides vaccination services to employees, employers, and business owners. The following vaccines are currently available at the center:
- Hepatitis A and B
- Flu
- Dtap and Tdap (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
- Varicella
The specialists of this center are ready to provide the necessary consultation in order to provide vaccination services at the workplace. In addition, to learn more about other services of this center, you can refer to the menu at the top of the page. Do not forget to ask your questions so that our experts can answer them as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions about Vaccination Services
Which vaccines are mandatory for all staff?
The exact answer depends on your job. People who work in some occupations are at higher risk of diseases, so vaccination is recommended for them.
What vaccines are required for healthcare workers?
- Hepatitis B
- Flu (Influenza)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella)
- Varicella (Chickenpox)
- Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
- Meningococcal
Who decides which vaccines are required?
Centers for disease control and prevention or CDC sets recommendations related to vaccination in children and adults
Other widely used services of this center are:
Very good attention. Thanks to all the staff.
Can you help me with the vaccine I need for my current job?
Yes, tell us your job status and we guide you on the required vaccine to take.