When was the last time you took a day off when you were sick?
Physicians tend to think more about the patients they would not be able to help, rather than their own health.
But a recent study reports that they need to think of time off work from another perspective – potentially spreading illness to their patients.
A recent study reported in the Sept. 27, 2010, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association notes that half of all resident physicians have reported to work sick at least once and a third said they did it more than once.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reminds physicians that:
- Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. Children may pass the virus for longer than seven days.
- High rates of vaccination among physicians and other health professionals have been linked to improved patient outcomes and reduced absenteeism and influenza infection among staff.
Avoid infecting others by keeping your own immunizations and those of your staff up-to-date, including getting a flu and Tdap immunization now.
The Pennsylvania Medical Society is recognizing practices throughout the state who report that 100 percent of their eligible employees have been vaccinated against influenza.