Where to Get Your Flu Shot in Lower Manhattan ASAP

We may still be anxiously awaiting the arrival of a safe, vetted COVID-19 vaccine, but in the meantime, there’s an easy thing you can do right now to protect your and your neighbors’ health: get a flu shot.

Medical experts have told us for years that flu shots are essential for lowering our own flu risk and preventing the disease’s spread to more vulnerable populations (like kids, the elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system). But if it’s never made it onto your seasonal to-do list, there’s never been a better or more crucial time to get on the bandwagon. Since late summer, Dr. Fauci and pretty much every major national and local public health official have been sounding the alarm about the importance of flu shots for preventing a nightmarish-sounding “twindemic.”

A terrifying specter, yes, but on the bright side, it’s only a mild exaggeration to say that you can get a flu shot on just about every street corner in New York City.

Outside of your regular doctor’s office, most pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS have the flu shot available (ditto your local neighborhood pharmacy), as do urgent-care clinics including CityMD (though their website notes that demand has been high and you should call ahead to check availability). Community health clinics and NYC Health + Hospital sites have the flu shot available as well. 

For easy planning, the NYC Health Department has a map that lets you search for flu shot locations around the city based on intake age, cost and whether an appointment is required. New Yorkers can also call 311 or text FLU to 877-877 to find nearby flu shot locations.

There are more than a dozen places to get vaccinated in Lower Manhattan alone, including:

—Walgreens/Duane Reade at 200 Water Street

—Echo Drugs at 260 Broadway

—Walgreens/Duane Reade at 250 Broadway (photo above)

—Walgreens/Duane Reade at 325 North End Avenue 

The health department has more information on the flu shot available here, and you can browse your local options here. Make a plan today to get vaccinated, and help protect your fellow New Yorkers.