How do I encourage employees to get vaccinated?

Where a vaccine exists, the best line of defence against infection (and protecting others) is vaccination. Having a yearly flu vaccine is one of the best ways to protect against catching and spreading flu or COVID-19.

Some employees will be offered the flu and/or COVID-19 vaccines for free by the NHS, for example pregnant women, those aged over 65, and people with long-term health conditions that put them at risk, as well as paid or unpaid carers. Those working in health and social care settings should be offered vaccines by their employer.

More information can be found here.

Other vaccines may also be offered via the workplace depending on circumstances, e.g. care staff in relation to blood borne viruses or tuberculosis (TB), or MMR to those working with children.

More information can be found here.

Employers could consider the following steps:

• Where employees are invited for a vaccine, be as flexible as possible to allow them to take up this offer, for example, by providing paid leave to attend vaccination appointments.
• Some employers contract with a NHS or private provider to offer flu vaccinations, or vouchers for flu jabs, to all their staff. However, they do not have a legal requirement to do this.
• Circulate or display NHS information on vaccinations to ensure staff have access to reliable and accurate evidence-based information - some examples can be found here.
• Create workplace advocates to share positive vaccine experiences via newsletters and other staff communication systems.