CAMP HILL, Pa. — With National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) in full swing, customers can visit their neighborhood Rite Aid pharmacy without an appointment to get their seasonal flu shot from a certified Rite Aid immunizing pharmacist and help themselves stay healthy this holiday season. Created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005, NIVW is a national observance that highlights the importance of continuing influenza vaccination, as well as fostering greater use of flu vaccine after the holiday season into January.

The CDC recommends that most healthy Americans, six months or older, including pregnant women, get vaccinated. Flu shots are covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B and are available without an appointment during pharmacy hours, which include evenings and weekends at many locations.

“When it comes to the flu, prevention is better than treatment, and our more than 6,000 Rite Aid certified immunizing pharmacists stand ready to help people protect themselves from the flu this year,” says Jocelyn Konrad, Rite Aid executive vice president of pharmacy. “When you get a flu shot, you’re not only protecting yourself, you’re also helping to protect the others around you from getting the flu. We encourage everyone to take this opportunity to get vaccinated from the flu and help keep our communities flu free this year.”

This year, Rite Aid is once again teaming up with Dr. Jennifer Caudle, a nationally renowned health expert and practicing family physician, to raise awareness about the importance of getting vaccinated.

“It takes about two weeks after a flu vaccination for the body to develop its full defense against the flu, so National Influenza Vaccination Week is a great time to get a flu shot and help make sure you’re healthy during the holidays and beyond,” said Caudle. “Getting vaccinated has never been more convenient and is also the single best way to protect yourself against the flu. That’s why I’m proud to be partnering with Rite Aid to help raise awareness about the importance of getting your flu shot every year.”

Rite Aid pharmacies are offering a quadrivalent flu vaccine, which offers protection against four strains of the flu: the influenza A H3N2 virus, the influenza A H1N1 virus and two strains of influenza B virus; a standard trivalent vaccine; and FLUAD, a trivalent vaccine with adjuvant, an ingredient that helps create a stronger immune response to vaccination, approved for people 65 and older.