MPH’s Schaffner Comments on the Estimated $9 billion Flu Price Tag
With a nasty flu season underway across the country, businesses can expect to see billions of dollars in lost productivity, according to global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "We're predicting about 11 million Americans will fall ill over the flu season and that's going to cost employers over $9 billion in wages being paid to employees that are staying home sick," Andy Challenger, the firm's vice president, told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Friday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the flu is now widespread across the continental United States.The predominant strain, H3N2, isn't well prevented by the flu vaccine.
"We've got a dominant virus out there that causes more severe disease, causes more complications particularly among older persons and the very young," said Dr. William Schaffner, professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.