CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic Receive Award of Excellence from National Influenza Vaccine Summit

- Award Recognizes Campaign to Vaccinate 1.2 Million Americans - 


WOONSOCKET, R.I., June 30  /PRNewswire/ -- CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic, CVS Caremark's retail clinic division, have received the National Influenza Vaccine Summit 2009 Immunization Excellence Award for a Corporate Campaign.  The award, co-sponsored by the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was presented yesterday evening in Dallas as health care leaders from more than 100 government and private organizations gathered at the National Influenza Vaccine Summit annual meeting.

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The award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions toward improved adult and/or childhood influenza vaccination rates and, more specifically, corporate campaigns that increase awareness and delivery of influenza vaccinations nationwide.

Through its integrated "Flu Shots Made Simple" campaign, CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic administered more than 1.2 million flu shots in its retail locations during the 2008/2009 flu season.

The coordinated approach included 7,500 flu shot clinic events held in CVS/pharmacy stores and flu shots on demand seven days a week at about 500 MinuteClinic health care centers located inside select CVS/pharmacy locations across the country.  More than 6,000 nurse practitioners, registered nurses and pharmacists administered shots as part of the program.

To educate the public about the importance of getting an annual flu shot, CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic designed an integrated marketing communications campaign that included television, print, direct, in-store promotion and public relations.

"CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic are delighted to be recognized for our efforts to vaccinate our customers and patients and to help keep them and their families healthy during the cold and flu season," said Donna Haugland, Chief Nursing Officer, MinuteClinic, who accepted the award on behalf of MinuteClinic and CVS/pharmacy.

CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic will announce plans for its 2009/2010 flu shot campaign soon.  Flu shots will be available at in-store flu shot events and daily at MinuteClinic.  In addition, MinuteClinic will continue to administer rapid flu testing and serve as a surveillance provider to local health departments in 25 states and more than 50 metropolitan areas.

About CVS Caremark

CVS Caremark is the largest provider of prescriptions in the nation. The Company fills or manages more than 1 billion prescriptions annually. Through its unmatched breadth of service offerings, CVS Caremark is transforming the delivery of health care services in the U.S. The Company is uniquely positioned to effectively manage costs and improve health care outcomes through its more than 6,900 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drugs stores; its Caremark Pharmacy Services division (pharmacy benefit management, mail order and specialty pharmacy); its retail-based health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic; and its online pharmacy, CVS.com. General information about CVS Caremark is available through the Investor Relations section of the Company's Web site, at http://www.cvscaremark.com/investors, as well as through the press room section of the Company's Web site, at http://www.cvscaremark.com/newsroom.

  Contact:  Brent Burkhardt              Carolyn Castel
            TBC Public Relations         CVS Caremark
            410-986-1303                 401-770-5717
                        

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DATASOURCE: CVS Caremark



CONTACT:  Brent Burkhardt of TBC Public Relations, [phone],

, for CVS Caremark; or Carolyn Castel of CVS Caremark,

[phone], 



Web Site:  http://www.cvs.com/ 

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