The majority of Americans are concerned about
catching the flu, but more are taking preventative measures
BANNOCKBURN, IL, Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Nearly
three-quarters (74%) of Americans who contract the flu call out
sick from work or school and more than a third (35%) missed more
than a week last year, reducing productivity all over the country.
Furthermore, nearly three in five (58%) Americans worry about
catching the flu this season, but more are taking preventative
measures – in 2018, 77% of Americans said they took preventative
measures to prevent contracting the flu, such as washing their
hands frequently, getting vaccinated or wearing a surgical mask in
public, while this year 89% percent of Americans said the same.
That's according to a new consumer report, "Influenza and the
Community," conducted by Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL), the
leading provider of compliance-based solutions that protect people
and brands, promote health and safeguard the environment.
Just over half (55%) of Americans got a flu shot last year, but
this year 61% of Americans have already gotten or plan to get a flu
shot, with the majority (31%) planning to get a flu shot in
November. Additionally, Americans are taking action to prevent
their loved ones from getting the flu – 68% percent of parents, or
caretakers of an elderly parent, plan to have their children or
parents receive the flu shot.
"The Influenza and the Community Survey reveals that while the
majority of Americans are still concerned about catching the flu,
more people are taking action to keep themselves healthy," said
Cindy Miller, Chief Executive
Officer at Stericycle. "The height of flu season is expected to
occur between December and February, so it's critical that
Americans continue to be diligent in protecting themselves and the
vulnerable communities around them from contracting the disease.
With this uptick in vaccinations, healthcare providers should also
revisit proper sharps handling, disposal methods and OSHA
compliance to protect their business, staff and patients from
injury and contraction, as well as reduce further spread of the
flu."
Americans' increase in preventative measures against the flu may
be related to their concerns around contracting the disease – one
third (33%) are most concerned about feeling ill, one quarter (26%)
are most concerned about giving the flu to a child or vulnerable
family member, one in six (16%) are most worried about missing
work/pay and nearly one in 10 (8%) are worried about death.
Additional findings from the survey include:
Flu Season Causes a Lack of Productivity, Especially for
Men
- Women (73%) and men (75%) are equally likely to call out of
work or school after contracting the flu, but men are more likely
to be sick for a longer time
- More than a third (35%) of Americans who caught the flu missed
between 4-6 days of work
-
- Men (42%) are much more likely than women (26%) to have missed
4-6 days of work or school
- Nearly three in five (57%) Americans who caught the flu missed
1-3 days of work or school
-
- Women (67%) are more likely than men (46%) are more likely to
have missed 1-3 days
Most Americans Plan to Get Their Flu Shot at a Doctor's
Office
- The majority (47%) of Americans will receive the flu shot at a
doctor's office
-
- This is compared to Americans who will receive the flu shot at
a pharmacy (34%), at their workplace (13%) or local hospital clinic
(4%)
- More women (14%) than men (10%) will receive their shot at
work, while more men (38%) than women (31%) will receive their shot
at a pharmacy
- Millennials (15%) are the most likely to get their flu shot at
their workplace, compared to Gen Zs (11%) or Baby Boomers (7%)
Americans View Workplaces That Offer Flu Shots More
Positively
- Less than half (42%) of workplaces offer the flu shot as a
health related employee benefit
- While just 13% receive the shot at their place of work, the
majority (67%) of those who do think more positively about their
company
- Of those who receive a flu shot outside of their workplace,
nearly two thirds (64%) agree they would think more positively of
their employer if they offered flu shots as an employee
benefit
- Nearly three in five (58%) Americans would be more likely to
work for an employer if they offered the chance to get a flu shot
while at work
Education is Still Needed to Help Combat the Spread of the
Flu
- Nearly half of Americans (49%) say the best way to prevent the
spread of the flu is by washing hands with soap and water, followed
by getting the flu shot (42%) and using a liquid hand sanitizer
(7%)
- More than half (55%) of Americans do not avoid shaking people's
hands during flu season
-
- Significantly more women (49%) than men (36%) do avoid shaking
people's hands during flu season
- More than a quarter (29%) did not know that proper medical
waste disposal plays a key role in preventing the spread of
infectious diseases like the flu
For more information about Stericycle's "Influenza and the
Community" Survey, click here to read the full report .
About Stericycle
Stericycle, Inc., (Nasdaq: SRCL) is
a U.S. based business-to-business services company and leading
provider of compliance-based solutions that protect people and
brands, promote health and safeguard the environment. Stericycle
serves more than one million customers in all 50 U.S. states and 20
countries worldwide with solutions for regulated waste management,
secure information destruction, compliance and customer
contact. For more information about Stericycle, please visit
www.stericycle.com.
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stericycles-second-annual-influenza-study-reveals-the-flu-decreases-workplace-productivity-majority-of-americans-call-out-sick-300959313.html
SOURCE Stericycle, Inc.