Drivers: Sign up at driversbenefits.org/flu or call 1-855-979-1445 and redeem at any Rite Aid
New York, NY – The IDG Benefits Fund is announcing it is now providing free flu shots for New York’s app-based and black car drivers throughout the month of November. Drivers can sign up at driversbenefits.org/flu or call 1-855-979-1445 and redeem at any Rite Aid, many of which have parking lots convenient for drivers. The free flu shot program is a new offering from IDG Benefits Fund, which provides vision and telemedicine coverage as well as health screenings for New York’s app-based and black car drivers.
“Half a million New Yorkers ride with app-based and black car drivers every day and protecting drivers with free flu shots will strengthen the health and safety of riders and drivers alike. A single driver can transport more than a dozen riders per day. A flu shot can help protect a driver from illness so that they can continue working, and it also can protect their family, and their passengers,” said Andrew Greenblatt, executive director of IDG Benefits Fund.
Who: All New York State Black Car and App-Based Drivers
What: Free Flu Shot
Where: Rite Aids throughout the state
When: Throughout November
How: Drivers who are not yet enrolled can call 1-855-979-1445 or go to www.driversbenefits.org/flu to sign up and request the voucher for a free flu shot at any Rite Aid. Drivers already enrolled in Drivers Benefits should call the toll free number to get their voucher.
IDG Benefits Fund is the sister organization of the Independent Drivers Guild, which represents and advocates for more than 70,000 app-based drivers in New York City.
“One of the most important things we hear from drivers is that they can’t afford to get sick. Any illness, whether its themselves or taking care of their family members, means they can’t work and puts their household in jeopardy. Providing free flu shots is another way we can help support working drivers while also protecting our communities,” added Greenblatt.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that flu vaccination is the best protection against the flu, which usually begins in the fall and can continue through late spring. The CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older. Last year more than 48 million Americans got sick with the flu, the highest number of cases of influenza-associated illness since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic per the CDC. The season also had high severity with unusually high levels of hospitalizations rates and proportions of pneumonia and influenza-associated deaths. Learn more about flu vaccination, prevention, symptoms and diagnosis at www.cdc.gov/flu.
