Vote & Vax Brings Flu Shots to the Polls on Election Day

This Election Day, Vote & Vax and its partners will be offering voters a chance to protect themselves and their communities from the flu by providing easy and accessible flu shots at more than 1,200 polling stations and pharmacies.

On Presidential Election Days, more than 126 million Americans pass through the 186,000 polling places across the country. In 2008, Vote & Vax and its collaborators delivered more than 21,000 flu shots at 331 polling places in 42 states and Washington, D.C. Of those vaccinated through the project, almost half (47.7 percent) were "new" recipients, meaning they had either not received a flu shot in the preceding year or would not have otherwise been vaccinated. Vote & Vax works with healthcare professionals from local and state health departments, pharmacies, visiting nurse agencies, and other immunizers.

This year, Vote & Vax has nearly quadrupled its efforts, with more than 1,200 sites in 48 states and Washington D.C, Puerto Rico, and Guam and will be able to reach an even wider population right at the start of cold and flu season.

"We believe that by offering flu shots at the polls and making it easier for residents to get vaccinated, we are providing an important public service to keep communities and our most vulnerable people healthy," says Dr. Douglas Shenson, national program director for Vote & Vax.

Vote & Vax national collaborators include health organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Healthy Aging Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the  Association of Immunization Managers and businesses such as Walgreens, Kmart, RxAlly and Rite Aid.

For more information visit:http://www.voteandvax.org/