Free Flu Shots Still Available for UK Employees
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 1, 2020) — University of Kentucky employees who have not received a flu vaccination for this winter can still receive one free of charge.
If you are on a UK health insurance plan, you can visit any pharmacy and receive a flu shot for free. If you are not on UK insurance, you can visit any UK HealthCare retail pharmacy and receive a free flu shot, too, or make an appointment for a curbside flu vaccination at UK HealthCare-Turfland. Appointments can be made by calling the UKHC Pharmacy Vaccination Hotline at 859-562-2018.
Visit this website to learn more about flu shot opportunities for UK employees: www.uky.edu/coronavirus/do-your-part/flu-shots/employee-flu-shots.
Health care experts strongly urge everyone to get a flu shot — especially this season during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need is more important than ever to limit the number of seasonal flu cases. Otherwise, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that health care systems could become more overwhelmed than they already are if they must treat patients for both COVID-19 and the flu.
A flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, however it will reduce the risk of contracting seasonal flu, which, according to the CDC, affected 38 million people last year in the U.S. and resulted in 400,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.