BUPA is urging employers to act now and get their employees vaccinated against the flu.

Martyn Anthony, head of specialist services at BUPA Wellness, says: "Demand is such that we were planning to give four times the number of vaccinations provided last year. Although many people have flu jabs in early November, it is never too late for employers to protect their staff. The highest incidence of flu can be anytime from December onwards but often peaks between the end of January and the start of February, so we are encouraging companies to book their flu jabs now to ensure a happy and healthy start to 2007.”

Research shows that the flu vaccine can reduce upper respiratory illness by 24%, and sick leave by 43% and provide significant cost savings for companies on days lost per employee.