Getting the flu shot has never been easier for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) members because the company is now making flu shots available at more than 125 participating local pharmacies. With just half of Rhode Islanders receiving the flu shot last year, BCBSRI’s goal is to help curb the spread of the flu in the state by increasing the number of vaccinations given this season.
"Getting a flu shot is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent getting the flu this season,” said Dr. Gus Manocchia, senior vice president and chief medical officer at BCBSRI. “Although the flu can cause severe symptoms for healthy adults and sometimes serious complications for children and seniors, a surprising number of Rhode Islanders don’t take advantage of this safe and simple preventative service.”
Manocchia continued: “Thanks to this innovative new program, BCBSRI members age 9 and older can now walk right into a participating pharmacy in Rhode Island, show their insurance card and get their flu shot at no cost. The pharmacy will handle submitting the medical claim. Members of all ages can continue to get their flu shots at their doctor’s office, or flu clinic—this is just one more convenient way to get vaccinated for the upcoming flu season.”
Although we do not have a pharmacy in Charlestown participating, the CVS and Rite-Aid pharmacies in Westerly, Wakefield and Narragansett are in the program as well as the Wakefield Prescription Center. The complete list of participating pharmacies is available here.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses. The CDC advocates that everyone over the age of six months receive the flu shot as soon as the 2011-2012 vaccines are available. Vaccination of high-risk persons—including young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease, and people 65 years and older—are especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness. The shot is not recommended for people who are allergic to chicken eggs or who have experienced a serious reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past.
By Tom Ferrio with some content used with permission from South Kingston Patch.com.