- Rite Aid Pharmacists Ready to Help Patients Protect Themselves Against the Flu
- Rite Aid’s Workplace Flu Shot Clinic and Voucher Programs Return
Camp Hill, PA, 2015-8-13— /EPR Retail News/ — Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) announced today that seasonal flu shots are now available at all Rite Aid pharmacies nationwide. Customers can visit any of Rite Aid’s nearly 4,600 pharmacies to receive a flu shot from a certified immunizing Rite Aid pharmacist, subject to state regulations. Flu shots are covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B and are available during pharmacy hours; no appointment is necessary. To locate the nearest Rite Aid pharmacy, visit www.riteaid.com or call 1-800-RITE-AID.
“While the timing of flu season is unpredictable, outbreaks can happen as early as October, which is why it is so important to get vaccinated as early as possible,” said Jocelyn Konrad, Rite Aid executive vice president of pharmacy. “Rite Aid encourages people to get a flu shot sooner rather than later, as it is the very best way to protect themselves and their loved ones from getting the flu.”
Rite Aid carries the standard trivalent flu vaccine, which offers protection against three strains of the flu: the influenza A H3N2 virus, the influenza B virus and the influenza A H1N1. Additionally, a quadrivalent flu vaccine that offers protection against an additional influenza B virus will also be available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone six months and older get a flu vaccination as soon as it is available, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu.
All Rite Aid pharmacies currently have supplies of trivalent and quadrivalent flu vaccines; a high-dose flu shot, approved for people 65 and older, will be available in all stores later this week. Upon request, Rite Aid pharmacists can administer an intradermal flu shot, which uses a smaller needle that is injected into the skin instead of the muscle, approved for people 18-64 years of age.
While the CDC recommends flu shots for everyone over six months, certain groups of people are at greater risk for complications from the flu. These groups include: diabetics, pregnant women, adults over 65, children under 5, those with asthma and other chronic lung diseases, those with kidney and liver disorders, heart disease patients and those with compromised immune systems.
Rite Aid – Readily Available Resource for Employers Looking to Shield Workforce Against the Flu
In an effort to help employers avoid what the CDC estimates to be a $10.4 billion in direct costs for flu-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits for adults, Rite Aid will once again have a team dedicated to planning and implementing onsite workplace flu clinics, staffed by certified immunizing Rite Aid pharmacists. Rite Aid is also able to offer employers a voucher program, in which employees would receive a flu shot voucher to use at any Rite Aid pharmacy. For more information, employers can visit www.shieldmyworkforce.com or call 1-800-622-2106.
Flu season provides an opportunity for people to review additional immunization needs. Rite Aid pharmacists are available to administer vaccinations for 12 other diseases, including pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps and rubella, meningitis, shingles and pneumonia, subject to state regulations. By visiting Rite Aid’s Vaccine Central, at www.riteaid.com/vaccinecentral, customers can complete an immunization evaluation, track their personal immunization history, and find other educational resources on immunizations.
Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation’s leading drugstore chains with nearly 4,600 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2015 annual revenues of $26.5 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company’s website at www.riteaid.com.
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Contact:
Media: Kristin Kellum 717-975-5713