Rite Aid boosts flu vaccine supply to meet increased demand

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid has obtained 400,000 new seasonal flu shots, which began arriving in stores earlier this week, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

The company said it was delivering the shots to areas of need based on actual or anticipated flu activity.

"This year's flu season got off to an early and strong start, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is more severe than in recent years," Rite Aid EVP pharmacy Robert Thompson said. "Rite Aid pharmacists play an important role in the fight against the flu every year, and that's especially true in tough seasons like this one. We are committed to helping our customers and communities fight the flu, which is why we're bringing in additional flu shots this week and encouraging anyone who hasn't received a flu shot yet to do so as soon as possible, so they can be protected against this year's flu."

The announcement comes amid recent nationwide reports of "spot shortages" of flu vaccine resulting from unusually high demand. While there are enough vaccines to go around, many retail pharmacies and other vaccination centers are running out of stock, resulting in people having difficulty finding vaccines.

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