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Subscribe to RSSIn a new study out Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control, the vaccine proved effective just over half of the time. And among seniors who are 65 years old and older, one of the most vulnerable populations, the vaccine only offered nine percent protection. NBC's Robert Bazell reports.
That nasty flu season appears to have taken a toll on our productivity as well as our health.
More American workers called in sick in January than during any month in nearly five years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said this week.
Nearly 2.9 million full-time workers only worked part-time during the week in which they were surveyed because of illness, injury or medical appointment, the BLS said. Also, more than 1.2 million people were off work for the whole week they were surveyed because they were sick, the BLS said.
That’s the highest level of people calling in sick since February 2008, when 1.3 million people missed a full week of work and 3.3 million full-time workers only worked part-time because of illness.
The BLS noted that more people typically call in sick during the winter months, when seasonal illnesses such as cold and the flu are common. But this year appears to have been especially hard on Americans, and on workers.
The flu season got off to an early and aggressive start, but the good news is that it appears to have peaked in late January, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Still, experts warn that the flu could continue to circulate for months.
In addition, other bugs, such as common colds and the stomach flu, can keep workers from heading into the office.
For many workers, getting sick can literally be costly. There is no federal requirement that companies provide paid sick leave, although companies who are subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act requires unpaid sick leave.
About 66 percent of workers have access to paid sick leave, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Full-time workers are much more likely than part-time workers to have paid sick leave, according to the BLS.
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LOL my company requires doctor excuse but no paid sick days at all
Workplaces like yours are like petri dishes. Make sure that when you do get sick you spend plenty of quality time with your boss. Leave your pen on his/her desk. That's mainly how illnesses are spread; by contaminated hands.
I've been fortunate enough to get sick time at most of my jobs AND employers that don't want you anywhere near the workplace if you're contagious.
I guess you take days off when you have gas and what to get paid too that's why they don't pay and want a note from your doctor you can't be trusted.
that will work wonders for small business...destroying them.
Congrats, you've won the award for the most stupid comment on the Internet today!
What will destroy a small business is having sick employees infect others or customers. There's a Dunkin Donuts I'm avoiding b/c I've seen sick employees at the counter. Giving workers paid time to get well also helps attract loyal, competent workers who appreciate the benefit.
Yeah, because it's so great when people have to be forced to choose between calling in sick, when you are really sick, or lose a day of pay. It has been proven that there is a correlation between profit losses and people coming into work sick. It also doesn't just stay in that particular business, either. Every person that comes into contact with those germs, and those that they are in contact with, get exposed as well.
With the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria, the constant evolution of viruses, and more people afraid of calling out, or cannot call out, because of financial constraints, more people become ill, and in many cases, end up in life threatening situations. We know of three different people that had to be hospitalized for that vicious stomach virus that went around in January, one being a toddler.
So, myname123, when you say such statements, you are actually stating how ignorant you are to the subject. It's all about the upfront costs for you fake republicans , and have no foresight about how much money is lost, in the long run, as well as what monies are lost by other businesses and individuals, who come into contact with sick employees.
I wish you could sneeze on my supervisor when you are very sick and contagous. He sucks so bad. Makes the job hell on Earth. He is the biggest control freak you have ever seen. Makes me do stupid stuff that makes no sense, bust my chops every chance he gets.
and yet, you continue to work there.....
Never called in sick. About to use some vaca days to go down to Florida this weekend, though! Half my office was out with the flu last month. Don't know how I avoided it. I've never had a flu shot, and this year was no exception.
Now if Obama wants to cut spending Bureau of Labor Statistics would be a good place to start. Who cares about who was sick or not. But we spend money to have someone in the gov. tells us how many were sick in January.
Here what is cost the tax payers to tell us this useless information in this story which by the way NBC does not mention that
"The President’s Budget provides $647.0 million in funding to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the 2012 fiscal year that will begin on October 1, 2011."
BY THE WAY THE FUNDING "is an increase of $35.6 million over the BLS 2010 appropriation" TO TELL YOU WHO WAS SICK.
Good job NBC and Allison Linn for a totally useless story but what I have added put a spot light on the real problem which is stop spending Obama.
Yeah, let's go back to 1890's when we didn't get any benefits.
No thanks. I'll stay in this millenium.
Unlike 1890 over populated is our biggest down set..Thank God I'm a country boy.
Never had a shot, never had it..Knock Knock.
This certain reporter always seems to manage to write silly, irrelevant articles. At least she is consistent.
Exactly which year has the flu NOT caused people to miss work during a January or February? This reminds me of the yearly parade of articles that all manage to feign surprise at the fact that the yearly flu fits the definition of an "epidemic" and then proceed to scare everyone by using that word as much as possible.
And why the not-so-subtle implication that any company that does not offer paid sick leave must be heartless? Lots of small companies simply can't afford it, as much as they would like to. I'd like to see Ms. Linn start a company, run it, and make payroll for a few years after the seed money is gone.
Extermely bad cold..went 13 days with it and calle din sick twice; left early two days. Calle din sick but worked from home..our (unwritten/unofficial) office policy is that if you are sneezing and coughing, stay home and don't infect others. Been OK now for a few days but can feel it coming back (the swallowing ground glass in the throat feeling)
Is the shrinking personal/family leave/vacation time and paid sick leave making us more vulnerable for health problems like these and possible epidemics/pandemics? Probably, should be moving all employment to less hours/week and promoting more personal time spent in fitness and resting. If I remember correct the military gets 4 weeks paid vacation from the start, or has that changed? That helps them stay healthy and ready when they are at work (remember most of that work is not during active combat, they are here at bases and ports).
MIlitary still gets 2.5 days per month but unless a member hits the high rate number (which escapes me now 4 years post military retirement) they aren't required to take time off on an annual basis. The good thing is that if sick and under a doctor's orders, a military member is not charged leave time when out sick. For example, I went through a bout of double pneumonia while on active duty (I won't go into why it GOT to double pneumonia despite having gone to sick call several times). I was out a full two weeks under doctor's orders without a hit to my leave balance.
i usually don't get flu/cold much and even if i got some cold, it would go away quickly. but this year is different, i caught it hard, and kept coughing for really long time as well. i didn't call in sick though, instead kept working, since i didn't have fever or anything.
i was fully recovered from that after over 3 weeks... a really long time!
I missed two weeks of work; and while I feel better (and get a little better every day), I'm still coughing two weeks later. This has got to be the most vicious flu I've had in 20 years.
I've lived in a couple of countries throughout the world. The US of A is the only one that does not mandate paid sick days for ALL workers, no excuses.
See for yourself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_leave
What are we waiting for? Ohh, yeahh.... Only "communist and socialist countries do that. We are in America, we don't do that because this is a Free Contry". Yup. Free to trample upon simple human rights: a couple of paid sick days. (Corporations would rather pay exhorbitant salaries and bonuses to CEOs, but nada to their workers. ) But, it's supposed to be a trickle down economy, isn't it? Not really, as you can see.
My last job did not allow paid sick days, and yet everybody complained when I went to work coughing up my lungs and sneezing all over. This company also fired two employees (with more than 10 years of seniority each) that became ill due to cancer. FIRED. Their excuse: they couldn't afford having them on FMLA anymore. (Despite the fact that the company generated huge profits.) I am glad I left. Not before I called OSHA about many irregularites in the workplace.
And I guess some of you will say the usual "If you don't like it here, why don't you leave?" Because Leaving does not fix problems. Being proactive usually does. People: the more you hunker and keep quiet because you are afraid to lose your jobs, the more benefits you will lose. Think about it.
i've always felt just a little bit jealous of people who are able to take advantage of paid sick days. ---- i'm semi-retired now, and self-employed, but only missed 2 days in all the years i worked, and neither of those were in a job that paid for sick days. ------- i've always wondered if some people who do accrue sick days, take them on purpose from time to time, even when not really sick. ------ btw, in the 20 years i've been self-employed, zero days missed from illness.
i called in for 1 day and half im blessed i get paid time off i try so hard not use it but i need a mental health day once a month normally a friday i went to work sick the rest of the time i havent had a flu shot only got it twice in my life mainly i get colds that can put me in bed for a day or so when i have extra money i buy several kinds of cold flu medicine and zicam when i can
Aaaahh yes. The media setting up the excuse for poor economic numbers for the next couple of months.
8 people on my crew at work and im the only one who hasnt had the flu...i told everyone they need to sanitize their cellphones occasionally...they touch the phone with dirty hands and then have a dirty germy phone at their face and mouth, of course theyre going to get sick...then they go to the grocery store and touch produce and other stuff, put it down and choose another and then those germs are all over the food for others to get...
Never had a flu shot and never had the flu. Don't know anyone who has except my nurse daughter who was forced to get the flu vaccine. She had a mild case for several days as did some of her fellow employees. Research the facts for yourself. Even the literature that comes with the vaccine to the docs office states it is not proven to prevent the flu.
curious this article didn't address who made huge profits from these vaccines that did so little - but we were all told were crucial if we hoped to survive for another day
I got flu from coworker who got from another person work. I was out two weeks with sever fevor an other problems .Son got the flu from co worker an was laid off for being sick . Nothing fair in this world when we take from next generation workers for cheap buy outs to retire .
In the great Republican Conservative still Confederacy South, right-to-works states have employers threatening workers with loss of jobs for being absent from work with serious illnesses, so most workers drag themselves in in order to kee "Massa" from beating them or selling them to another plantation. Republicans freed the black slaves which is commenable and should have been done another way besides war. Then the great American Corporate Aristocracy just enslaved all the working whites and blacks and still continue their relentless assault on the average working and middle class workers by slashing benefits, earnings and doubling up on hours worked by classifying certain jobs to be salaried and working people 50-60-70 hours per week with no overtime. Slavery is back these rich neo-con Republicans with the assistance of the aristocratic Southern owners just enslaved both black and white and now have to provide everything for themselves, work like dogs and the system is rigged so one can never get ahead. God Bless America but not its leaders and government, to hell with them.