Does your workplace have flu shot quotas?
See this flu vaccine sales incentive chart? It's from a CVS pharmacy, and it's good to know they're so concerned about our health and wellness isn't it?
Yeah right.
Last week a CVS employee sent me a private Facebook comment about this chart, because she didn't want her name appearing with the comment out of concern for her job…
CVS had us pushing the flu shot early in September and gave each store flu shot quotas to meet. We are supposed to answer the phone with “can I schedule a flu shot for you” somewhere in the greeting. Sorry CVS, but I refuse to entice people into a flu shot. It's bad enough that I have to give you drugs that have the potential to do you more harm than good. Upper management would call our store and remind us that we hadn't met our goals for the week. I guess we were supposed to pull people in off the street and force the flu shot on them. They were also coming down pretty hard on store managers to find places in our community to schedule flu clinics (for example, a large company) for their employees.”
Comment below to let us know what you think or if you've seen something similar near you. Does YOUR workplace have flu shot quotas? Follow the Facebook conversation here to see what others said.
There's no doubt, this whole flu shot business is about sales.
If it were about wellness instead of flu vaccines (which, by the way, are not even effective, according to non-industry funded studies), you would see vitamin D level testing, elderberry syrup, hand-washing reminders, cod liver oil, probiotics, and other far more effective and safe measures being promoted.
By the way, has anyone tried any of these home vitamin D test kits? Just wondering which is a good one.- Vaccines – What the CDC and Science Reveal by Dr. Tenpenny
- Read my 10 Tips for Building up Your Immune System.
- Previous post on flu vaccine effectiveness, politics, and safety.
- Do germs really cause disease?
- Is our environment too clean?
- Myths about what really makes us sick.
- Are you under stress in your life right now? Health & Nutrition not high on your priority list at the moment? It’s OK.
Debra says
I am one of those healthcare workers whose hospital system this year decided to require all employees whether or not they have direct contact with patients to get a flu shot. The only exemptions that they would allow were either religious or medical and the criteria for religious exemption was illegal. Thank goodness for Alan Phillips, a vaccine rights lawyer out of NC that I tracked down over the internet. With his wealth of knowledge on this issue I was able to put together a letter minus all of the illegalities of my work form and get a religious exemption. The only requirement now that I have to abide by at work is to wear a mask when I am within six feet of a patient during the months of December through March. I plan on checking up on this CDC mandate to make sure that it is correct.
Peggy says
I was treated to a HUGE guilt trip the last time I was in a CVS. How DARE I put the public health in danger because I’m too stubborn to get a shot! All those children that could DIE! All those parents who will go BROKE from lost wages! Why, if she had HER way (the nurse-practitioner taking me on this lovely trip) it would be a LAW that EVERYONE would have to have the flu shot EVERY year!
I love it when the discussion leaves the realm of rational thought. It really gives me permission to cut loose with my sarcasm that I store up for such occasions.
Kevin says
That’s pretty crazy. I’m sure it’s probably run like that at most of the chain drugstores. It’s just another product that needs to be sold. In my area the State takes out a lot of radio advertisements saying “it’s the best way to protect your family.”
I remember a few years ago a local chain pharmacy was advertising a free coupon book or some other free items when you get your flu shot. My family was joking around wondering how many flu shots each person could get to get the free items.