Walgreens encourages vaccination now ahead of
the respiratory season and the holidays
Walgreens has launched the 2024-2025 Walgreens Flu Index, an
online, interactive tool that tracks weekly flu activity based on
flu-related prescription data across the company’s community
pharmacy locations nationwide.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241030359028/en/
Young patient high-fives pharmacist after
vaccination at Walgreens (Photo: Business Wire)
For 11 years, the Walgreens Flu Index has provided an early and
accurate view of disease trends. Historical data from the Walgreens
Flu Index shows that southern states tend to see earlier and
steeper peaks in flu activity when compared to the rest of the
country.
“We continue to monitor the emergence of respiratory illnesses,
and the Flu Index has been a reliable view of disease spread,” said
Rick Gates, chief pharmacy officer. “Our goal is to protect
communities from flu, as well as other seasonal viruses like
COVID-19 and RSV.”
Even though early data shows lower initial activity, a seasonal
spike is predicted to be around the corner. This is a great time
for people to be thinking about protecting themselves before
respiratory illnesses emerge and ahead of the holiday season, when
we have historically seen illness spike.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends
that everyone 6 months and older get a flu and updated COVID-19
vaccine.1 During the 2023–2024 season, respiratory illness activity
began to increase in early November and peaked in late December,
though flu remained at elevated levels in the U.S. through
February. The U.S. also saw surges of COVID-19 and RSV during this
time.
“Flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines remain the number one way to
protect against respiratory viruses this fall and winter and can
help reduce the severity of symptoms if you do get sick,” said
Gates. “In fact, data from the CDC shows that last season, the
annual flu shot reduced the risk of flu-related hospitalization and
doctor visits by as much as 40%.2 Now is the time to get your
annual flu shot, and other recommended vaccines, to develop
immunity and increase your protection before you travel or gather
this holiday season with loved ones who might be at a higher risk
of developing severe complications.”
Walgreens is offering flu, COVID-19, RSV, pneumonia
(pneumococcal), and other routine vaccinations appointments as well
as walk-ins nationwide.* To schedule a vaccination appointment, use
the Walgreens app, visit Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine or call
1-800-WALGREENS. Patients are able to schedule multiple
immunizations during the same visit. Walgreens offers flexible
openings, including nights and weekends, and walk-ins are welcome.
Vaccines are covered by most insurance plans. Additionally,
Walgreens is currently offering patients 20% off your next purchase
of $20 or more as a myWalgreens member when you get any
vaccine.**
Individuals who are experiencing a runny nose, cough or other
respiratory symptoms should consider getting tested to know with
greater confidence which virus they may have and be able to quickly
take the necessary steps toward recovery. Walgreens offers a
variety of convenient, low-cost options for flu and COVID-19
testing, including an easy combination test for COVID-19 and
influenza A/B with results in 30 minutes or less. At-home tests,
along with over-the-counter medicine cabinet essentials, are
available for delivery in as little as 1 hour.
About the Walgreens Flu Index®
The Walgreens Flu Index® is an online, interactive tool that
ranks the top markets and states for flu activity in the United
States, including Puerto Rico, and the top markets and states
showing the largest increases in flu activity week-over-week. The
index is updated weekly each Tuesday and is available through an
online interactive map linked here. Users can search by market or
state to see where their geographic area ranks for flu activity in
any given week and how current flu activity compares to last
season. Through the time-lapse feature of the Walgreens Flu Index®,
users can see how current flu activity compares to activity from
last season.
Every week, Walgreens tracks the incremental change of antiviral
medications used to treat influenza across thousands of Walgreens
and Duane Reade locations nationwide to create the Walgreens Flu
Index®. Data for the Walgreens Flu Index® is analyzed at state and
geographic market levels to measure absolute impact and incremental
change of antiviral medications on a per store average basis and
does not include markets in which Walgreens has fewer than 10
retail locations.
The index is not intended to illustrate flu severity, but
rather, based on this methodology, to show which populations are
experiencing the highest incidence of influenza within the United
States and Puerto Rico each week. Low-high rankings are designated
based on a normal flu season, defined by an average of the last
five flu seasons nationwide. For example, red regions on the
Walgreens Flu Index® map indicates a much higher than normal flu
season, while green regions indicate a much lower than normal flu
season.
Over the last three years, Walgreens has seen other respiratory
illness activity captured through this index as respiratory
symptoms across disease states can be similar. Walgreens continues
to refine this surveillance platform with available data
streams.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the U.S. Retail
Pharmacy and U.S. Healthcare segments of Walgreens Boots Alliance,
Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail
leader. True to its purpose of “more joyful lives through better
health,” Walgreens has a more than 120-year heritage of caring for
communities and providing trusted pharmacy services, and today is
playing a greater role as an independent partner of choice offering
healthcare services that improve care, lower costs, and help
patients. Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across the U.S.
and Puerto Rico, Walgreens is proud to serve nearly 9 million
customers and patients daily. The company’s pharmacists are playing
a more critical role in healthcare than ever before, providing a
wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services, including those
that drive equitable access to care for some of the nation’s most
underserved populations. Walgreens offers customers and patients a
true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and
digital platforms designed to deliver high-quality products and
healthcare services. Within the U.S. Healthcare segment, Walgreens
portfolio also includes businesses in primary care,
multi-specialty, post-acute care, urgent care, specialty pharmacy
services, population health and provider enablement.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “CDC Recommends
Updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines for Fall/Winter Virus
Season.” June 27, 2024.
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “This Season's Flu
Vaccines Reduced Flu Medical Visits and Hospitalizations Across All
Ages” February 29, 2024.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/whats-new/2023-2024-vaccines-reduce-medical-visits.html
*In some states, a prescription from a healthcare provider is
required to receive an RSV vaccine at Walgreens. **20% off coupon
issued for vaccines received between 9/1/2024 - 2/28/2025. Excludes
AR, NJ, and NY. Limit three coupons during offer period. Must be a
myWalgreens member. Terms and restrictions apply to coupon. See
coupon for details.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241030359028/en/
Media Contact Samantha Stansberry media@walgreens.com
Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Nov 2024 to Dec 2024
Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Dec 2023 to Dec 2024
