Rite Aid Pharmacies Nationwide Now Offering Flu Shots
Rite Aid Corporation has announced that seasonal flu shots are now available at all Rite Aid pharmacies nationwide.
PRESS RELEASE
Camp Hill, Pa. (Aug. 12, 2015) - 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
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.
