Profits Over Health: Is CVS Pushing Consumers to Get a Flu Shot Too Early

Saturday, August 29, 2020

GoLocalProv News Team

 

View Larger +

CVS pushing flu vaccinations in August

CVS is now running promotions and incentives targeting consumers to receive their flu shots this year as early as August. The coordinated campaign includes promotional coupons. It is a strategy that is in conflict with the best healthcare practices and could cause some to have exposure to the flu at the height of the deadly season.

“For a limited time while supplies last in participating states, customers will receive a $5 off $20 shopping pass when they get a flu shot at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic, valid August 18 through October 31. Patients who receive a flu shot at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic locations inside select Target stores will receive a $5 Target coupon,” says the CVS promo.

Neither federal nor state health officials recommend flu vaccinations in August. The Rhode Island Department of Health’s annual campaign to promote flu vaccination historically begins in October. One top public health expert charges the CVS’ strategy is picking profits over public health.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

 

Flu During Coronavirus

There is great worry by public health officials that this year’s flu season coupled with the resurgence of the coronavirus could create a perfect storm of infection and has the potential to overwhelm hospital capacities.

Dr. Michael Fine, the former RI Director of Health, says CVS' promotion timing is simply too early and potentially dangerous.

“Well, the question is do we want to have a healthcare system that's for people, that tries to reduce the incidence and prevalence of disease, or do we want to have a healthcare market and industry that creates profit -- getting a lot of flu shots out in August means we can tick the box, that said, we gave flu shots but that won't help us prevent disease very much,” said Fine in an interview with GoLocal LIVE.

“I’ve talked about it for many years -- I don't think the science supports giving flu shots in August,” said Fine.

The consensus on guidance is clear that the recommended time for flu vaccinations is the beginning of October or later. In December of 2019, the flu spiked in Rhode Island.

View Larger +

Best time for a flu vaccination is October say experts

"Healthcare providers should offer vaccination by the end of October, if possible, and vaccination should continue to be offered as long as influenza viruses are circulating and unexpired vaccine is available. To avoid missed opportunities for vaccination, providers should offer vaccination during routine healthcare visits and hospitalizations," states the Immunization Action Coalition, an industry-funded non-profit.

in 2019, the flu hit Rhode Island in that January.  In Rhode Island over the past five years, 6,255 have been hospitalized and 206 have died.

The winter of 2017-18 was the hardest hitting flu year in recent years with 1,390 hospitalizations and 60 deaths, according to data provided by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

The Rhode Island Department of Health tells GoLocal that the flu hits Rhode Island later than CVS is promotion. “Seasons go from the first week of October to the third week of May, with individual dates varying by season," said RIDOH.

Flu vaccinations take about two weeks to build the antibodies.  And most health experts agree that the effectiveness of the vaccination begins to dissipate after three months.

 

View Larger +

CVS CEO Larry Merlo, PHOTO: GoLocal

Is CVS Pushing Customers for Health or Profits?

In a recent interview reported by Forbes focused on how this coming flu season could mean big profits for CVS and other pharmacy chains, CVS' CEO Larry Merlo discussed the business impact behind the company's flu strategy.

A busy flu season and the coronavirus mean big revenues and big profits for CVS as well as Walgreens and other major pharmacy chains.

"It's going to be difficult to tell the difference between the seasonal flu and COVID-19 so protection against one is important," CVS Merlo said in an interview. "If you think you're just going to power through it because you think it's the seasonal flu, you're going to have a difficult time." 

CVS alone expects to administer up to 18 million seasonal flu vaccinations, which will be double last year’s volume, the drugstore chain said.

“Given the significant demand we anticipate for the vaccine, our promotional campaign is designed to increase consumer awareness so individuals and families can make plans to get their flu shot this fall as recommended by the CDC," said Joe Goode, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications CVS Health in an email to GoLocal.

Fine however dismissed the CVS claim and questioned the CDC's guidance. "I've never thought that, unfortunately, CDC going back now seven or eight years supported the position of CVS. How that came to be is kind of mysterious to me but you know a lot of what CDC is doing recently is kind of mysterious to me so fall back on that on that CDC position."

CDC has been under extreme criticism on its guidance issued on the coronavirus, especially relating to its ever-changing guidance on testing for the virus which has now changed four-times since March and twice in the past week.

 

Related Articles

 

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

 
 

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast

I want to follow on Twitter

I want to Like on Facebook