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ILI highest among real estate, food service employees
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From October 2009 to June 2010, during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, influenza-like illness among employed adults was most prevalent for those in the industry categories “real estate and rental and leasing” and “accommodation and food services,” CDC researchers reported in MMWR.
In a representative sample of 28,710 employed adults, identified using data from the 2009 National H1N1 Flu Survey, 5.5% reported influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms. Among employees in the real estate group, 10.5% reported ILI, as did 10.2% of employees in accommodation and food services group. In occupation groups, 11% of adults in the “food preparation and serving related” occupation and 8.3% of adults in the “community and social services” occupation reported ILI.
Adults that did not work — including homemakers, students, retired persons and persons unable to work — had a 6% prevalence of ILI, similar to working adults. Unemployed adults — those looking for work — had a prevalence of 9.4%.
Overall, employed adults had a pH1N1 vaccination coverage rate of 23.7%, similar to 26.5% for adults that did not work. Unemployed adults had a vaccination coverage rate of 16.7%. The rates of pH1N1 vaccination were similar for people in the real estate group (16.8%), the accommodation and food services group (16.5%) and the food preparation group (15.6%). The highest pH1N1 vaccination coverage was among health care workers (44.5%)
“Employers should evaluate risk levels in workplace settings and implement prevention measures that include workplace influenza vaccination programs, education on hand hygiene and cough etiquette, encouraging workers to stay home from work when ill and provision of personal protective equipment when appropriate,” the researchers wrote. “These measures will protect the workers and the public.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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