NEW YORK — A Rite Aid Corp. flu shot event in Grand Central Terminal earlier this month helped inoculate hundreds of city residents against illness and raised money for charity.

For every flu shot given during the two-day “Rite Aid Shield Yourself, New York” event October 5 and October 6, the drug chain donated $3 to Tuesday’s Children, a nonprofit organization that supports the families of 9/11 victims and first ­responders.

“We chose Grand Central Terminal to call attention to the importance of New Yorkers — especially those using mass transit — shielding themselves from the flu,” senior vice president of marketing John Learish says. “We’re very pleased to give our New York customers the added benefit of making a donation to Tuesday’s Children on their behalf when they protect themselves and their families by getting a flu shot from a Rite Aid pharmacist.”

While Rite Aid was offering flu shots in the commuter hub’s mail hall for two days, its effort did not end there.

The drug chain also distributed free donation tickets to commuters passing through Vanderbilt Hall on those days and, until November 30, it will donate $3 to Tuesday’s Children every time one of those tickets is presented by a person getting a flu shot in a Rite Aid store.

According to the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, flu and pneumonia result in the deaths of more than 2,000 city residents every year, making them the third-leading cause of death in New York City.

Officials say that an annual flu shot is the most effective way of preventing influenza and its complications.