October is prime flu vaccination time. Please share the following content via email, your website, or blog. Key messages include:
- Blue KC health plans cover the flu vaccine at 100%
- Get the vaccine from an in-network PCP, retail health clinic, or Spira Care Center
- At-risk populations
Get the facts and get the vax for $0
The flu virus invades your body undetected and masks itself from the immune system until … you feel that tickle in the back of your throat, body aches, and other symptoms like fever, chills, cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Arm yourself against the flu for $0
Your Blue KC health plan covers the cost of the flu vaccine at 100% when it’s administered by an in-network provider, such as your primary care provider (PCP) or a retail health clinic. Blue KC members can find an in-network provider at MyBlueKC.com and click Find Care in the left column.
Spira Care Centers offer walk-in and drive-up flu shot clinics for Blue KC members enrolled in a plan with exclusive access to Spira Care Centers. See the schedule.
What’s your risk? Know the facts
Not everyone is at high risk for the flu, but many are. Here’s what the CDC has to say.
Older adults and people with heart and lung disease
Unvaccinated individuals 65 and older and people with chronic conditions are at a greater risk of flu complications. Conditions include but are not limited to:
- Lung disease – People with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at a greater risk of being hospitalized with flu complications. However, consistent flu vaccination was associated with fewer COPD flare-ups and exacerbations.1
- Heart disease – People with conditions like congestive heart failure may have up to a six-time higher risk of having a heart attack within a week of a confirmed flu infection.
People with diabetes
People with diabetes who got the flu vaccine had an 11% reduced risk of being hospitalized with acute complications associated with diabetes.2
Pregnant individuals
A pregnant individual’s risk of being hospitalized with flu can be reduced by an average of 40% by getting the flu vaccine. The vaccine is safe for pregnant individuals and can provide protection for babies for the first few months after birth.
Children
Children 6 months and older should get the flu vaccine, which can reduce a child’s risk of severe, life-threatening flu by 75%.
People with disabilities and caretakers
The flu is particularly dangerous for people with disabilities – especially those who have trouble with muscle function, lung function, or difficulty coughing, swallowing, or clearing fluids from their airways. People with such disabilities, and their caretakes, are encouraged to get vaccinated.
Immunocompromised people
People who are immunosuppressed have a weakened immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off infections, like the flu, and often causing them to be sicker than most. A weakened immune system can be caused by medication, HIV infection, or other health conditions.
It’s prime time to get vaxxed
October is prime time to get your $0 flu vaccine. Visit your PCP, an in-network retail health clinic*, or a Spira Care Center** walk-in or drive-up flu shot clinic.
*Visit Find Care on your Blue KC member portal at MyBlueKC.com to locate a PCP or in-network retail clinic near you.
**For Blue KC members enrolled in a plan with exclusive access to Spira Care Centers.