Voters cast ballots, get flu shot at same time

NBC
Published: November 3, 2008

Along with civic duty, there’s another reason to vote this election season.

Voting could be advantageous to your health. 

A non-partisan, non-political public health initiative provides flu vaccinations at polling places across the country.
If the fact that this is being touted as one of the most important elections of our generation isn’t enough, there’s another incentive to head to the polls. 

A two for one.
From Atlanta to Las Vegas, at more than 250 polling places in 35 states and the District of Columbia, voters are able to cast their ballot, and get a flu shot.

“We’ve been here about three hours,“ said Bernard Lewis.

The goal of the program is to make it more worth the wait to vote, by providing an important public health service.

“That’s really what we try to do.  We take a look at certain types of venues with a lot of people we’re trying to target,“ said Bonnie Sorenson, Director of Nursing and Clinical Services with the Southern Nevada Health District.

Among those target groups for flu shots are people over age 50, health care workers and parents of infants.

The Centers For Disease Control estimates the flu causes one in five people to get sick each year resulting in more than 35,000 deaths.

So to vote and vaccinate is one way to help protect health, and perform a civic duty at the same time.
The Vote and Vax program is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation developed in part as a result of surveys that show more people would get a flu shot if it were more convenient.

The average cost of the flu shots at polling places is between $20.00-$25.00. 

Those who have Medicare part b coverage can most likely get the shot for free if they present an insurance card.