Sponsored - The following content is created on behalf of Fry’s Pharmacy and does not reflect the opinions of Gray Media or its editorial staff. To learn more about Fry’s Pharmacy, visit FrysFood.com/flu.
STATEWIDE (Fry’s Pharmacy) – The days are getting shorter. The intense heat of summer … well, that’s still here, but it is starting to ease off ever so slightly.While it might not feel like it quite yet, autumn is here, and flu season is right behind it.
You know how the flu is. Once one person in your home (or at work) gets it, everybody gets it. Do you really have time to be out of commission for a week or longer? Let’s not even discuss the lingering cough and fatigue. You don’t want any part of that.
But there’s one quick and easy thing you can do now – today, even – to avoid that. And it’s free for most people. Get your flu shot.
Fry’s has vaccines available every day, including evenings and weekends, and you don’t need an appointment.
“You can just walk in,” Stephanie Spark, the pharmacy director of Fry’s Food Stores, told our Darrell J. Cunningham earlier this year. “Seven days a week, we are there to take care of your needs.”
Give your immune system a shot in the arm
Getting a flu shot isn’t just about protecting yourself and your family. It’s about protecting everyone around you, too.
“Older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions are at higher risk for serious flu complications,” explains Fry’s Pharmacy. “If you do get the flu, being vaccinated may help reduce the severity of symptoms and risk for complications.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says flu shots are safe and, with some rare exceptions, recommends one for everyone older than 6 months. The CDC also recommends getting a shot every year because the flu virus mutates. Vaccines are updated to keep up.
That’s true of the COVID-19 vaccine, too.
“The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is always changing and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time,” the CDC said earlier this summer. “Receiving an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States.”
Fry’s will have that vaccine for you when it becomes available, but there’s no need to wait until then to get your flu shot.
Why risk serious illness, or worse, when you can take action to head it off? You can’t control everything in this world, but you can control this.
“Vaccinations can mean the difference between life and death,” says the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
“It is the one thing that we have in our toolbox to prevent severe illness and disease,” Spark said. “It’s all about preventative care with vaccines.”
Prevention is key and certainly more cost-effective than getting sick and missing work or school. With the cost of living being what it is, some might say they can’t afford to get a flu shot. The reality is that most of us can’t afford not to.
“They’re actually covered under most insurance plans at no cost to the customer,” Spark said.
Getting vaccinations and prescription refills at Fry’s can even save you a little money at the gas pump. You’ll earn 25 Fry’s Fuel Points for getting your flu shot. You’ll also earn points for qualifying prescription refills. Those points will knock down the per-gallon price at Fry’s Fuel Centers and participating Shell locations. Savings add up, and we all know that every dollar counts.
The flu shot is one of many CDC-recommended vaccines Fry’s has for you.
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- COVID-19
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B.
- HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
- Meningitis (Meningococcal)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
- Pneumonia (Pneumococcal)
- RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
- Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
- Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis
So, when you make your next shopping list, be sure to include your flu vaccine. You can either pop into the pharmacy when you’re at Fry’s, or, if you’re a planner, you can download the free Fry’s app and make an appointment. If apps aren’t your thing, you can schedule online at FrysFood.com/flu.
Your schedule is tight. Fry’s Pharmacy helps you maximize your time by making it simple and convenient for you to follow through on smart health decisions like getting your flu shot.
Fry’s Pharmacy is part of Kroger Health, which is the fourth-largest pharmacy in the country. Kroger’s health teams administered 4 million vaccines last year. They know what they’re doing and will have you in and out faster than any doctor’s office.
Flu season is coming. Make sure you’re ready. Fry’s has the flu vaccine available now to help keep you healthy later.