COVID-19 booster, flu shot and RSV vaccine now available for UK employees
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 21, 2023) — UK Retail Pharmacies are now offering vaccinations for flu, as well as the new RSV vaccine and COVID-19 booster. Here’s what you need to know about each vaccine this fall virus season.
Flu vaccinations
Both standard and high-dose flu shots are now available at all UK Retail Pharmacy locations and the UK Pharmacist Care Clinic at Fountain Court. The high-dose shot is approved for people age 65 and older. It is recommended that children under 9 years old, pregnant women, HIV patients and transplant patients see their doctor for vaccination.
UK HealthCare employees are required to receive a flu vaccine by Dec. 1 and can get their shot at any UK Retail Pharmacy location; there is no extra reporting step this year, and the pharmacies have badge buddies available. In addition, several vaccination clinics will be held at various times and locations through Nov. 29. For more information, check The Loop (access available only to UK HealthCare employees).
The following UK Retail Pharmacy locations are offering flu vaccinations. To schedule an appointment visit ukpharmacy.org.
- Kentucky Clinic Retail Pharmacy: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Appointments strongly preferred.
- Chandler Retail Pharmacy: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Appointment only.
- University Health Retail Pharmacy: Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Appointments recommended; walk-ins accepted when staffing allows.
- Good Samaritan Retail Pharmacy: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Appointment only.
- Turfland Clinic Retail Pharmacy: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Walk-ins accepted.
- UK Fountain Court Retail Pharmacy (Pharmacist Care Clinic, Room 220): Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Appointments recommended; walk-ins accepted Monday-Friday.
- The Apothecary at Gatton Student Center (first floor): Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Walk-ins accepted.
COVID-19 booster
The FDA recently approved a new monovalent COVID vaccine for people 12 years and older. The booster is available through UK Retail Pharmacies. The new vaccine’s formulation was created to target virus strains that are currently most common in the community, helping to boost immunity and fight severe infection.
Although no longer required, it is advised that employees continue receiving boosters as they are eligible. For additional help regarding the timing of your vaccine series, you can call the Pharmacist Care Team at 859-562-2018.
The COVID vaccine may be received at the same time as the flu shot; just let your pharmacist know.
The booster is available at all UK Retail Pharmacy locations and the Pharmacist Care Clinic at Fountain Court. COVID vaccinations continue to be free of charge.
RSV vaccine
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that can cause lung and respiratory tract infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can also lead to hospitalization and death in older people and infants. The FDA recently approved the first ever vaccines to prevent RSV.
The RSV vaccine is available at UK Retail Pharmacy locations for adults 60 years and older.
Another vaccine has also been approved for those who are between 32 and 36 weeks pregnant. Since RSV is highly contagious, this vaccine aims to reduce the risk of severe illness in both the pregnant patient and newborns during the first months of life. It is recommended that those pregnant should see their doctor for vaccination.
Scheduling an appointment
Appointments for a flu, COVID and/or RSV vaccination can be scheduled at a UK Retail Pharmacy, even without a MyChart account.
Here’s how to schedule:
Click here to make an appointment. Choose the Pharmacy button, then select “Vaccine” and select the vaccines you would like administered. Then choose a time and location that works for you.
For more information about UK Retail Pharmacies or about other vaccinations and services available through the Pharmacist Care Clinic, visit ukpharmacy.org.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.