For the 2008 election, some voters may be getting more than they expect on Election Day. This year, more than 250 community health clinics across the United States will be offering flu shots at or near voting locations. The Vote & Vax project is a nation-wide effort aimed at making flu shots more accessible.

Flu shots are important for everyone, but there are a few groups that are at particularly high risk for the illness and are encouraged to get vaccinated, including:

• Children age 6 months to 18 years

• Anyone age 50 or older

• Pregnant women

• Adults with weak immune systems

• Anyone with a chronic condition, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, anemia, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, lung disease

• Anyone with muscle or nerve disorders that may lead to breathing or swallowing problems

• Anyone who lives with or cares for someone at high risk for influenza-related complications

By providing vaccinations at polling places, the Vote & Vax Initiative hopes to make flu shot vaccinations more convenient and accessible to older adults, who often have a difficult time getting to their local clinic.

You are not required to vote in order to receive a flu shot; just visit the clinic located at the polling station. Please note that these flu shots are not free; the clinics will be charging the same amount as they do at the community flu shot clinics. Check with your health insurance provider to determine whether your health insurance policy will cover the cost of a flu shot.

The Vote & Vax project is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and SPARC (Sickness Prevention Achieved through Regional Collaboration).

For more information on the project, visit VoteAndVax.com.

To find a clinic at a polling place near you, visit their Find A Clinic page.

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