Funemployment just got healthier. Newsday reports that CVS and Walgreens, the nation’s two largest drugstore chains, will soon offer millions of dollars of free seasonal flu shots to unemployed and uninsured people.
CVS will offer 100,000 free shots valued at about $3 million to job seekers, the Rhode Island-based company said yesterday in a statement. Walgreens, which is based in Illinois, will distribute $1 million in shots to the uninsured through its 7,000 U.S. stores and clinics.
According to a CVS study, job seekers are among the least likely to get flu shots, with 34 percent of them receiving shots last year, compared with 49 percent of the overall population. Any consumers can receive the shots, just not for free; starting today, CVS and Walgreens will make seasonal flu shots available. Walgreens will charge $24.99 for injections and $29.99 for a nasal spray version.
The stores are getting a head start on the flu season this year, due to a greater demand because of all of the hype surrounding the swine flu. According to a Walgreen survey, 50 percent of consumers plan to get shots this year, up from 43 percent in 2008. However, be aware that seasonal flu shots won’t protect against swine flu, which is also known as H1N1. Vaccines for that virus will be distributed this fall by the U.S. government.
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