WOONSOCKET, R.I., Aug. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey from
CVS/pharmacy released today found that nearly two in five U.S.
adults (37 percent) have missed a life event because they were
feeling ill with flu-like symptoms. The most commonly missed events
include get-togethers with friends (17 percent), family gatherings
(17 percent) and a work meeting or presentation (13 percent).
In the survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of
CVS/pharmacy in July 2015 among over
2,000 U.S. adults ages 18+, nearly three-fifths (58 percent) of
Americans indicate that they get a flu vaccine every year or plan
to get one this year, with commonly cited reasons being:
- They believe it is the best way to prevent getting the flu (65
percent);
- To protect their family from the flu virus (38 percent);
- And, because they don't want to miss important life events by
having the flu (26 percent).
All CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations nationwide are now
offering flu vaccinations.1 The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone who is at
least 6 months old get a flu shot as soon as the vaccine is
available.
"No one wants to get sick with the flu, and getting sick is even
worse when it causes us to miss an important life event such as a
vacation, wedding, holiday gathering or a child's big sporting
event or recital," said Tom Davis,
RPh, Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Practices at
CVS/pharmacy. "The simple fact is that getting an annual flu shot
is the best protection available against catching or spreading the
flu."
"It is recommended to get a flu shot as soon as the vaccine is
available because it takes a couple of weeks for it to build
immunity in order to provide you with the best protection before
flu season peaks," said Nancy
Gagliano, Senior Vice President, CVS Health and Chief
Medical Officer, CVS/minuteclinic. "You should also get vaccinated
every year because influenza strains may change year to year and
the vaccines are updated annually."
Among Americans who have ever received a flu shot, 38 percent
indicated that convenience plays a major role in their decision
about where to get the vaccination. More than 7,800 CVS/pharmacy
stores and nearly 1,000 MinuteClinic locations inside select
CVS/pharmacy stores provide flu shots every day, including evenings
and weekends, with no appointment needed.
In addition, customers will receive a 20 percent off
CVS/pharmacy Shopping Pass when they get a flu shot at CVS/pharmacy
or MinuteClinic.2 The Shopping Pass can be used with the
CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare Rewards card to save 20 percent off
non-pharmacy purchases up to $100.3
Getting the flu shot at CVS/pharmacy or MinuteClinic is also
very affordable. Thirty-six percent of Americans who have ever
received a flu vaccine indicated that "where their insurance is
accepted" is a determining factor for where they get the vaccine
administered. The flu vaccine is a preventive service under the
Affordable Care Act, fully covered and available at no cost through
most insurance plans, including Medicare Part B. CVS/pharmacy and
MinuteClinic can directly bill many national and regional health
plans that cover all or part of the cost of a flu shot.
Additional findings from the survey include:
- Two-thirds (67 percent) of employed Americans would go to work
even if they were feeling ill with flu-like symptoms.
- The life events Americans would be most upset about missing
because they were feeling ill with flu-like symptoms include
missing a vacation getaway (63 percent), family gathering (56
percent), wedding (54 percent), graduation (47 percent) and
birthday party (43 percent).
- 92 percent of Americans say they would take actions to protect
themselves from catching the flu — including regularly washing
hands as often as possible (77 percent), drinking more water (58
percent), taking vitamins (55 percent), eating more nutritious food
(50 percent), wiping down surface areas with sanitizing wipes (46
percent) and regularly using hand sanitizer (45 percent).
- Just over three fourths of seniors (76 percent), ages 65 and
up, get the flu vaccine every year and/or plan on getting the flu
shot this year.
The high dose vaccine is available at CVS/pharmacy and
MinuteClinic locations for those ages 65 and older. It contains
four times the antigens as the regular flu vaccine and is intended
to create a stronger immune response for seniors, who are at
greater risk of developing severe flu-related illnesses. The
quadrivalent flu vaccine is also available and offers protection
against an additional influenza B virus than the standard seasonal
flu vaccine.
In addition to flu shots, CVS pharmacists and MinuteClinic nurse
practitioners and physician assistants are available to provide a
number of other vaccinations, including pneumonia and pertussis
(whooping cough), among others. Visit
www.cvs.com/getvaccinated or
www.minuteclinic.com/services/vaccination for more information on
the vaccines offered. Certain immunizations have age and location
restrictions.
Please visit CVS.com/flu for more information and additional
resources. Consumers can also visit www.CVS.com or use the
CVS/pharmacy Mobile smartphone app to locate a nearby store.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online
within the United States by Harris
Poll on behalf of CVS from July 17-21,
2015 among 2,024 adults ages 18 and older. This online
survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no
estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For
complete survey methodologies, including weighting variables,
please contact Stephanie Cunha at
scunha@cvs.com or Matt
Mendolera-Schamann at mendo@matternow.com.
About CVS/pharmacy
CVS/pharmacy, the retail division
of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), is America's leading retail pharmacy
with over 7,800 locations. It is the first national pharmacy to end
the sale of tobacco and the first pharmacy in the nation to receive
the Community Pharmacy accreditation from URAC, the leading health
care accreditation organization that establishes quality standards
for the health care industry. CVS/pharmacy is reinventing pharmacy
to help people on their path to better health by providing the most
accessible and personalized expertise, both in its stores and
online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS
Health is available at www.cvshealth.com.
About MinuteClinic
CVS/minuteclinic is the
retail medical clinic of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), the largest
pharmacy health care provider in the
United States. MinuteClinic launched the first retail
medical clinics in the United
States in 2000 and is the largest provider of retail clinics
with nearly 1,000 locations in 31 states and the District of Columbia. By creating a health
care delivery model that responds to patient demand, MinuteClinic
makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more
Americans. Nationally, the company has provided care through more
than 25 million patient visits, with a 95% customer satisfaction
rating. MinuteClinic is the only retail health care provider to
receive three consecutive accreditations from The Joint Commission,
the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 20,000
health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit
www.minuteclinic.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
For CVS/pharmacy
Stephanie Cunha
scunha@cvs.com
401.770.9354
OR
Matt Mendolera-Schamann, Matter
Communications
mendo@matternow.com
978.518.4524
For MinuteClinic
Brent Burkhardt, TBC
bburkhardt@tbc.us
410.986.1303
1 Flu shots are available when immunizing pharmacist,
MinuteClinic nurse practitioner or physician assistant is on duty,
while supplies last.
2 Offer is not valid in the states of AR, NY, NY and
HI. Shopping Pass is not available at MinuteClinic in the states of
MA, PA and RI.
3 Normal ExtraCare purchase restrictions apply for
20% Off Shopping Pass.
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SOURCE CVS/pharmacy