JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bi-Lo Holdings’ Winn-Dixie Stores and Bi-Lo chains are urging customers to be prepared early for the flu season through their "Shield Yourself" vaccination campaign.
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Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie are offering discounted flu shots to members of their Prescription Drug Plan. |
The Southeast food and drug retailers said Wednesday that they have begun providing flu shots on a walk-in basis at all of their in-store pharmacies. Customers also can go online to schedule an appointment for a flu vaccine at the Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo pharmacy websites.
Both chains are offering three flu shot options: the standard seasonal flu injection, Fluzone High-Dose for people age 65 and older, and an intradermal flu shot administered with a microneedle that’s 90% smaller than traditional needles.
The Shield Yourself effort emphasizes that, with vaccines readily available at Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo stores, there’s no reason for customers to wait to get a flu immunization. The retailers noted that with school back in session, more germs are being shared and carried into homes and offices, and it takes about two weeks after receiving a flu vaccination for the antibodies to develop in the body.
In addition, the campaign reminds customers that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends an annual vaccination as the best protection against the flu.
"Our pharmacists are ready and eager to answer any questions customers may have about which vaccine they should choose and what to expect after receiving the vaccine," John Fegan, vice president of pharmacy for Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo, said in a statement.
Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo customers enrolled in the company’s Prescription Drug Plan receive added savings off the standard cost of the vaccination. For plan members, it costs $24.99 for the regular flu shot, $24.99 for the intradermal vaccination $24.99 and $44.99 for the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine.
Bi-Lo Holdings is the nation’s ninth-largest supermarket operator. Winn-Dixie has 479 stores and 368 in-store pharmacies in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Bi-Lo operates 206 supermarkets and 115 in-store pharmacies in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Under the chains’ drug savings program, customers can get 30-day prescriptions for $4 and 90-day prescriptions for $10 on more than 400 generic medications, as well as discounts on branded and other generic drugs.
Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo pharmacies also offer free blood pressure checks, the Ready Refill program, low-cost health screenings (such as for cholesterol or diabetes), and wellness screenings for women and men. The chains also use a central prescription record system that links all of their pharmacies, making customer prescription records available at any location and accessible by computer through ePharmacy. Winn-Dixie, too, provides access to prescription services via smartphone with the free Winn-Dixie Rx App and by cell phone via Winn-Dixie Mobile Services.
