Kmart Pharmacy Tackles Flu Shot Myths to Help Keep Families Healthy this Season

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Aug. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Flu season is coming, which means coughing, fevers, body aches and misconceptions about the flu vaccine are on the horizon. A new online survey of Kmart shoppers, conducted on behalf of Kmart Pharmacy by Sears Holdings Member Feedback and Insights team, found that while nearly all (94 percent) agree some people are particularly vulnerable to getting the flu or having a serious case of the flu, 41 percent typically do not get a flu shot.

Getting a seasonal flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu – and Kmart Pharmacy is out to debunk some of the most common flu-related myths preventing people from staying healthy each year:

• The flu shot does not protect me from the virus: The Kmart Pharmacy survey found that approximately one in three (31 percent) people typically do not get a flu shot because they believe the vaccine won't protect them. The flu vaccine is intended to create a stronger immune system to keep you from not catching the bug, and also lessens the chances of spreading the flu virus to others.
• I never get the flu so I do not need a flu shot: No one is immune from getting the flu. Some individuals are actually more susceptible to developing serious flu-related complications than others, including children under the age of five, adults age 65 or older, and pregnant women. While the Kmart Pharmacy survey found that only 28 percent of people think getting the flu shot will not protect others around them, everyone should receive the flu shot. The vaccine helps protect others around you.
• My decision to get the flu shot only affects me: If you were to contract the contagious virus, there is a chance you could infect your family, your friends, and your co-workers. More than half of respondents (55 percent) said they have missed work themselves or know someone who missed work last year due to the flu. Sick employees are likely not working at an optimum level and can expose others to germs in the workplace. The end result is costly to both employees and employers.

"Getting an annual flu shot is the best way to prevent the seasonal flu, and we encourage families to take this important step to protect themselves," says Phil Keough, president, Kmart Pharmacy. "Stop in today and visit one of our professionally trained immunizing pharmacists who are ready to administer flu shots as well as other CDC-recommended vaccinations.*"

Kmart is now offering no-cost flu shots (with most insurance)** to customers at participating Kmart pharmacy locations – including Quadravalent and high-dose flu shots. No appointment is necessary and Shop Your Way® Pharmacy Rewards members receive points for each flu shot purchased. Announced earlier this year, the new Shop Your Way® Pharmacy Rewards Program gives members $10 back in points 1(10,000 points) for every five qualifying prescriptions filled in a rolling 12-month period.

The CDC recommends people start getting vaccinated soon after the flu vaccine becomes available. Kmart Pharmacy wants to keep families healthy this flu season and invites them to stop by their nearest Kmart Pharmacy location for a flu shot today. Learn more atkmartpharmacy.com/flu or cdc.gov.
Kmart Pharmacy also offers onsite flu shot clinic services. Ask your local Kmart pharmacist how to schedule a flu shot clinic at your workplace.

Survey Methodology
This United States survey was conducted online by Sears Holdings on behalf of Kmart Pharmacy from July 29 through Aug. 6, 2014among over 10,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

About Kmart
Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a mass merchandising company and part of Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through shopyourway.com. Kmart offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, Route 66 and Smart Sense. For more information visit the company's website at www.kmart.com | Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/kmart.

About Shop Your Way
Shop Your Way® is a free social shopping destination and rewards program offering millions of products, personalized services, and advice. Through a network of retail partners and service providers, members can shop, compare, purchase items and earn points to use on future purchases. Members also enjoy special pricing, exclusive sales, events, access to celebrity brands and sweepstakes. And through the unique social community on shopyourway.com, members can research and browse products, create wish lists, poll friends and family and even get advice from experts to help choose the products and services that best meet their needs.

There is no minimum purchase required for Shop Your Way members to redeem points and points can be used toward purchases across countless product categories. Download the free Shop Your Way app available on iTunes or Google Play. By accepting Shop Your Way member benefits and offers, you agree to the Shop Your Way terms and conditions, available atwww.shopyourway.com/terms.

*Vaccine administration is dependent on local Pharmacy State Rules and Regulations.
** No co-payment unless required by your plan. Cash price of the Trivalent flu shot is $27.99. 
¹ Subject to Shop Your Way® Pharmacy Rewards program terms and conditions. Points are valid for two weeks once received on the purchase of non-pharmacy merchandise. This offer is not valid for and cannot be used by any patient who is a beneficiary of a federal healthcare program, such as Medicare Part D, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part B, Medicaid, TRICARE or Plan de Salud del Gobierno de PR (PSG). Offer not valid in LA for controlled substance prescriptions or in AR, MA, NJ, NY, Virgin Islands and Guam. By accepting Shop Your Way® member benefits and offers, you agree to the Shop Your Way® terms and conditions, available atwww.shopyourway.com/terms.

SOURCE Kmart

RELATED LINKS
http://www.kmart.com