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Kroger Health Shares Health And Wellness Tips During Cold And Flu Season

HSA/FSA savings event runs November 29 through December 12

CINCINNATI, Nov. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), today shared health and wellness tips from Kroger Health to support patients during cold and flu season and announced its wellness savings event running from November 29 to December 12.

"The most effective way to battle cold and flu season is for eligible patients to get vaccinated for flu, RSV and COVID-19," said Meggen Brown, MSN, FNP-BC, chief nursing officer for Kroger Health. "It is also very important to maintain healthy habits related to handwashing, diet, sleep and exercise to support a good defense against illness this time of year."

Kroger Health suggests these tips to support patient health and wellness during cold and flu season and beyond:

Get vaccinated by making an appointment here or visit a local Kroger Family Pharmacy or Little Clinic location (flu and COVID-19 vaccines are covered by most insurance plans and at no charge to the recipient, see patient insurance plans for more details).

Wash your hands frequently.

Stay home when you are sick.

Support your immune system by consuming foods high in nutrients that play significant roles in immune health.

Stay hydrated.

Practice good sleep habits.

Stay active.

To make an appointment to see a healthcare professional please visit Kroger.Com/health/clinic or simply stop by a Little Clinic location. The Little Clinic is open seven days a week, including evenings, weekends and some holidays. Nurse practitioners are also available to help patients virtually via telehealth appointments in specific states.

For customers in need of products to battle cold and flu symptoms, Kroger Family Pharmacies conveniently accept payment from Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for eligible products, including, but not limited to items such as:

Purchase these products and more during the retailer's wellness event from November 29-December 12 and save an extra $10 when spending $30 on participating health and wellness items with a shopper's card. To shop the complete list of HSA/FSA eligible products, visit the Kroger HSA/FSA Shop.

About Kroger Health:

Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of America's leading retail healthcare organizations.  Kroger Health and the Kroger Family of Pharmacies and clinics operate more than 2,200 pharmacies and more than 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 17 million customers annually. Our team of 24,000 associates, including pharmacists, nurse practitioners, dietitians, and technicians, believe in practicing at the top of our licenses, enabling "food as medicine" to help prevent disease before it starts, and helping people live healthier lives. For more information, visit www.Kroger.Com/health.

About The Kroger Co.:

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025.

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SOURCE The Kroger Co.

As Thanksgiving Approaches, Yes, It's Still Worth It To Get Your Flu Shot. Here's Why.

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Get Your COVID, Flu And RSV Shots Before Thanksgiving: Health Experts

When it comes to preventing a miserable, deadly disease — better late than never.

Health professionals are reminding people that there's still time to get vaccinated before Thanksgiving, especially as the threat of a possible "tripledemic" of flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) looms.

"The bottom line is that the flu is not to be trifled [with]," Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told USA Today. "It is not just a cold. It is a serious disease that can land you in the hospital and sadly, unfortunately, kill people, too."

According to the CDC, there's been a 3% increase in flu activity nationwide over the past week, especially in the south-central, southeastern and western regions of the US.

The numbers are indeed chilling: During the 2021-22 flu season, there were an estimated 9 million US flu cases, resulting in about 100,000 hospitalizations and an estimated 5,000 deaths. And 2021-22 was a relatively mild flu season.

It's not just miserable — the flu kills thousands of Americans every year. Getty Images

By comparison, during the 2017-18 flu season, there were an estimated 41 million flu cases, with 710,000 hospitalizations and 52,000 deaths in the US.

Those most vulnerable to serious complications from the flu — such as hospitalization or death — include older people, pregnant women and infants.

In addition to the flu shot and a new COVID-19 booster, there are also two FDA-approved vaccines for RSV available for older adults — one of them is also approved for pregnant women to shield their newborns from RSV.

"We've started to see an uptick in some parts of the country … when it comes to RSV," Shah said. "If you're over the age of 60 or you have a young child, now is the right time to talk with your doctor, talk with your pharmacist, about getting the RSV vaccine or immunization."

Whether enough people will get the shots in time to prevent widespread contagion remains to be seen.

Most drug stores offer vaccines for the flu, as well as RSV and COVID-19. AP

"This is a huge concern," Dr. Eric Cioè-Peña, vice president of global health for Northwell Health, told The Post. "Misinformation is causing people to defer or skip vaccinations that can prevent disease, disability and even death."

Flu shots, COVID-19 boosters and RSV shots are widely available at most doctors' offices and pharmacies such as CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens, where you can usually get vaccinated without an appointment. Urgent care facilities such as CityMD and One Medical offer them as well.

The flu shot provides protection for about six months, and except for some minor side effects like soreness at the injection site, the vast majority of people won't experience problems.

Health experts estimate that the flu vaccine is at full strength about two weeks after it's delivered, but heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, even some protection is better than none.

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