Angelika I haven't had the flu often in my life, but there was one time when it really got me. We were still living in Munich, and I thought I was indispensable at work, so I went in with a fever, which immediately backfired, sending me into a fever delirium and incapacitating me for quite a while. For some time now, I've been telling myself every year that this year, I'll get the flu shot, but then I didn't do it, even though it's recommended due to my work with children.

But due to Corona and the fact that I have to stay home and get tested for any symptom that is on the official Covid list, I thought to myself, 2020 is my year for the flu shot. This is because flu and Corona symptoms are hard to distinguish from each other. Of course, I didn't want to sit in my doctor's waiting room with all the coughing and sneezing people just for a vaccination. But you have to give it to the Americans; sometimes they are very pragmatic. here, anyone can get vaccinated in the drugstore.

As has often been reported here, in the USA there isn't a classic pharmacy as you know it from Germany. Pharmacies are either located in drugstores like "Walgreens" and "CVS" or in supermarkets like the "Safeway" chain. German visitors always find it a bit strange that non-prescription medications like aspirin are available on the regular shelves in the supermarket. However, for prescription medications, you still need a prescription in the U.S., but you can get the medication from behind the counter in the back of a drugstore.

In the U.S., the profession of a pharmacist also exists, and every drugstore or supermarket that offers prescription medications employs one. In all American states, these pharmacists are allowed to administer vaccinations to adults (not all states permit this for children). Generally, anyone wanting a vaccination can simply show up at the store to get vaccinated, or can make an appointment online.

If you have health insurance, it covers the vaccination, and the drugstore bills the insurance company directly. I just had to present my insurance card. My insurance fully covered the flu vaccination. I made an appointment online at the Walgreens around the corner from us and got one for the same day. Then I just needed to provide my birthdate, address, and name, and answer a few questions such as whether I was feeling sick or if I had ever had an allergic reaction to vaccinations.

At the appointed time, I went to the Walgreens drugstore, checked in at the pharmacy area, and after a few minutes, the on-duty pharmacist came. She led me into a box-like structure that looked like a small container, which turned out to be a tiny room with a chair. She confirmed my details once again and then administered the vaccination in my arm. I had always wondered what that huge, person-sized box at the end of the aisle in Walgreens was for when I was shopping there. Now I know! By the way, you can not only get flu vaccinations in drugstores but also vaccinations for all sorts of other things (shingles, whooping cough, hepatitis). I read in the German media that this year in Germany, there are the first pilot projects testing flu vaccinations in selected pharmacies.

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• More topics you might be interested in:

  	Back to School
  	Sold-out Christmas trees
  	Voting in the garage
  	Wanderers, hunters, and gatherers
  	Top Product: Kindle Oasis with Leather Case
  	Baking Pretzels At Home
  	Off to the COVID test
  	Biden wins