Walgreens and the United Nations (UN) Foundation today announced the launch of the 2016 Get a Shot. Give a Shot.® campaign, a fourth-year collaboration to help provide life-saving vaccines to children in developing countries. Now through Aug. 31, 2017, for every flu shot or other immunization administered at Walgreens pharmacies, Healthcare Clinics, or Duane Reade pharmacies, Walgreens will donate the value of a life-saving vaccine through the Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign.
With the support of Walgreens customers, the campaign has helped to provide more than 15 million polio and measles vaccines since the program’s inception in 2013. Shot@Life is a movement to protect children worldwide by providing life-saving vaccines where they are most needed through the UN and other partners.
“Get a Shot. Give a Shot creates a unique opportunity for our customers to play an active role in helping to protect millions of children from vaccine-preventable diseases,” said Alex Gourlay, Walgreens president. “This campaign is one of the many ways in which we’re helping to improve immunization rates among targeted populations, both here in the U.S. and across the globe. It’s gratifying to see the impact Walgreens and its customers are making to champion everyone’s right to be happy and healthy.”
According to the UN Foundation, 1 in 5 children worldwide lack access to life-saving immunizations, and a child dies every 20 seconds from a vaccine-preventable disease. Coordinated worldwide vaccination efforts have made significant progress, particularly reducing cases of measles and polio.
“Families everywhere deserve the opportunity to keep their children safe from preventable diseases like measles and polio. Get a Shot. Give a Shot gives Walgreens customers a chance to support the health and wellbeing of children around the world while taking care of their own health needs,” said Kathy Calvin, president and CEO of UN Foundation. “At the UN Foundation we believe every child deserves a shot at a healthy life. Walgreens’ support of the Shot@Life campaign is an important part of making that vision a reality.”
“Since the age of three when I contracted polio in my family’s village in Nigeria, I have experienced firsthand the challenges faced due to this disease that is preventable with a polio vaccination,” said Dennis Ogbe, an ambassador for the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life program and 2016 Get a Shot. Give a Shot. spokesperson. “Through programs such as Walgreens Get a Shot. Give a Shot., children in developing countries will have access to these critical vaccines. No child should have to live with the lifelong consequences of polio. Every child should have a shot at life.”
Walgreens locations in most states offer a wide range of 17 CDC-recommended vaccines, subject to availability, including those to protect against influenza, shingles, pneumonia, pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis, hepatitis and other diseases. Vaccinations are available during all pharmacy and Healthcare Clinic hours, including nights, overnights at 24-hour pharmacy locations, weekends and holidays, with no appointment necessary.
Age restrictions vary by state at Walgreens pharmacies, while Healthcare Clinics can provide immunizations for patients age 2 and older. Other restrictions may apply.
The UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign collaborates with many organizations and corporations to broaden American support for childhood immunizations in developing countries against diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, measles and polio. Together, these partners are working with Shot@Life to benefit UNICEF, the World Health Organization and other implementing partners to save lives and improve the health of millions of children around the world through life-saving vaccines.