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CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. has enlisted the help of Dr. Jennifer Caudle, a nationally renowned health expert and practicing family doctor, to highlight the importance of getting a flu shot during National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW).
The drug chain said Caudle and Rite Aid certified immunizing pharmacist Chris Altman will host a special flu-focused Facebook Live event on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 8 p.m. ET to answer questions about the influenza, address common misconceptions and provide helpful tips on how to stay healthy throughout flu season.
“Our pharmacists are on the frontlines of health care in the communities they serve, and when it comes to fighting the flu, as certified immunizers, they can be a patient’s first line of defense,” according to Jocelyn Konrad, executive vice president of pharmacy at Rite Aid. “And because flu activity typically peaks between December and March according to the CDC, National Influenza Vaccination Week is the perfect time to remind people there’s still time to get vaccinated and protect themselves as well as their family this flu season.”
Launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005, NIVW emphasizes continuing flu vaccination, as well as fostering greater use of flu vaccine after the holiday season into January. Last week, the CDC reported that flu season is off to an early start and could peak over the holidays if flu activity keeps rising at its current weekly pace.
Rite Aid has 11,000 certified immunizing pharmacists, and seasonal flu shots are available at its stores nationwide. This year, Rite Aid is offering three types of flu vaccines: a quadrivalent flu vaccine, which offers protection against four strains of the flu; the standard trivalent vaccine; and FLUAD, a trivalent vaccine with adjuvant, an ingredient that helps create a stronger immune response to vaccination, which is approved for people 65 and older.
“Vaccination is the single best way to protect yourself against the flu,” stated Caudle, a regular on-air health expert for local and national news networks who has appeared on CNN, The Dr. Oz Show, Fox News, CBS Philly 3 News, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, PBS and others. “Rite Aid pharmacists undergo special training and are professionally certified to administer immunizations. And with thousands of locations across the country, Rite Aid pharmacies are a convenient and professional setting for flu shots. That’s why I’m partnering with Rite Aid and reminding people to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
The CDC recommends that most healthy Americans ages six months and older, including pregnant women, get vaccinated for the flu. It takes about two weeks from the date of a flu shot for the body to develop its full defense against influenza, so it’s recommended that people not wait to get immunizated.
