Clearly, the 2009/2010 flu season was an unusual one.  The sudden appearance of H1N1, the lack of a vaccine, the decision to manufacture a vaccine and then its’ delayed arrival, all lead to a flu vaccination season like no other.  What’s on the horizon for the 2010/2011 flu vaccination season?  It may be early to say but we know the following:

1.  H1N1 is one of the three strains to be included in the seasonal flu vaccine.

2.  Vaccine prices have gone up.

3.  Nursing costs have also increased.

The WHO delivered the strains to the manufacturers on time but it is too soon to know how well the strains are growing.  We’ll get early reports from the manufacturers in about two weeks at the CDC/ AMA National Flu Vaccination Summit.

Last year, we saw the highest uptake of seasonal flu vaccine in history with nearly 40% of the US population getting their seasonal flu shots.  Let’s see if we can’t build on that this year.

In an aggressive move, Walgreens bought not just one but both national providers of on- site employee health clinics. These two acquisitions will make up the cornerstones of Walgreen’s new Health and Wellness Division. This is an interesting move that HR and Benefits Managers and occupational health professionals will be closely watching.

(more…)

Welcome to the Corporate Wellness Blog.  I’ll be blogging about employee health and wellness issues; our experiences and those of our clients (don’t’ worry – we won’t be naming names). Shortly, we’ll be celebrating Corporate Wellness, Inc. twentieth year.  An observation we made during the first week holds true a thousand weeks later – no two days are alike; no two employee health situations are identical and no client crises are ever exactly the same.  The body of knowledge and experience we’ve built over the years provides us with a unique perspective on healthcare, employee benefits, drug screening, DOT Medical Certificates and other employee health and employment issues that we’ll be sharing here.  We have no doubt that over drinks with your co-workers or dinner with your family, you’ll be sharing one of the stories you read here.