The Cost of a Shot – H1N1 & Business Continuity
Posted by Matt Spada on Thu, Oct 29, 2009
As someone who is considered immunosuppressed and high risk, I was fortunate to qualify for an H1N1 vaccine earlier this week. It hasn't been an out-of-sight-out-of-mind event for me though, as the medical student who administered the shot executed it in such an awkward fashion that four days later my arm still bothers me.
Minor soreness aside, I appreciate that I'm one of the lucky ones. Here's what we know right now - as the H1N1 Swine Flu is rapidly flying through the United States and Canada, vaccine providers have been unable to meet demand. After watching both friends and colleagues fight the infection off, it was clear to me that the vaccine was something I needed to get a hold of as soon as possible. I should acknowledge that I'm also one of those people who gets the seasonal flu shot each year, so it's not exactly a leap of faith for me.
I know there is a lot of fear and uncertainty about vaccines in general (see this month's Wired), but this particular scenario to me seems like a no brainer given the risks and propensity of H1N1 virus to spread. As Col. Dr. William Lang (formerly of US DHS) stated in a Q&A Agility Recovery held in October, "while all vaccinations have a small risk of adverse effects, the current public health thinking is that the risk of severe disease in an unvaccinated person is higher than the risk of significant side effects from the vaccine." (click here to view that entire recorded H1N1 Preparedness Webinar)
Where I think the true cost becomes overwhelming is when an illness spreads within an organization or workplace. Especially for small and medium sized businesses who are less likely to have redundancies in their staffing, the loss of even a few key people at a critical time could have a catastrophic effect on the long term viability of a business. Illness can potentially affect not only you, but those around you - whether it's family, friends, coworkers, etc. Perhaps a better question is, are vaccines part of the social contract or are they truly an individual's choice? It's something to think about...
For those curious as to how they can best prepare their workplace, Agility is holding a followup to October's H1N1 preparedness webinar on November 18th. I would strongly encourage everyone to take an hour of their time and listen in - I know I learned quite a bit last time. Along with tips on prevention, Dr. Lang will also give an update on the status of the pandemic. It's completely free and something that should not be missed.
And speaking of "the cost of a shot" - the US government is picking up the tab on this particular vaccine.
- Matt Spada
Agility Recovery Solutions
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