The driving service Uber is helping people get the flu shot with their latest venture. The aim of the service is to provide everyone with easy access to the flu shot to reduce rates of the flu. It’s estimated that 20 percent of people will be affected by the flu, but getting the flu shot reduces the risk.
The company has named their venture UberHEALTH, and on Thursday November 19th you can Uber your way to a flu shot. In 35 U.S. cities, UberHEALTH will run between 11 a.m. and three p.m., where they will deliver wellness packs for 10 dollars. The wellness package consists of a water bottle, tissues, hand sanitizer, a lollipop and a recyclable UberHEALTH tote bag. With the request of a wellness pack you also have the option to obtain a free flu shot from a registered nurse – part of Passport Health – for up to 10 people.
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UberHEALTH was first launched last year as a pilot, and results – which were published in Annals of Internal Medicine – revealed that convenience and delivery are important aspects that help a person decide whether or not they will receive a flu shot.
Uber has teamed up with John Brownstein, Ph.D., Director of Computational Epidemiology Group at Boston Children’s Hospital and a professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School, as their first advisor in health. They hope his expertise can further guide UberHEALTH in other directions to improve the health of the population.
If UberHEALTH is successful, you will likely see new health ventures from the driving service in the future.
Emily Lunardo studied medical sociology at York University with a strong focus on the social determinants of health and mental illness. She is a registered Zumba instructor, as well as a Canfit Pro trainer, who teaches fitness classes on a weekly basis. Emily practices healthy habits in her own life as well as helps others with their own personal health goals. Emily joined Bel Marra Health as a health writer in 2013.
