In support of public health efforts to encourage flu vaccinations and to provide an easy mode of transportation to flu shot locations across Metro-Boston, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (“Blue Cross”) will offer free Bluebikes rides during National Influenza Vaccination Week, December 6-12.
Complimentary trips will be available in the system’s nine municipalities: Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, Newton, Revere, Somerville and Watertown, with stations in Chelsea launching soon. Blue Cross is the title sponsor of Bluebikes, which is owned by the municipalities.
To take advantage of Blue Cross’ free ride offer, riders can download and open the Bluebikes app on a mobile device and use the code “BLUECROSSMA” to unlock a free Adventure Pass. The code will be available for one use per Bluebikes account between Dec. 6-12 and includes free unlimited two-hour rides for a 24-hour period. National Influenza Vaccination Week is a national awareness week recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to highlight the importance of influenza vaccination. The latest data published by the CDC found that the 2018-2019 flu season resulted in nearly 500,000 hospitalizations and more than 34,000 deaths across the United States, and the CDC has noted that this year the flu vaccine will be more important than ever in light of the coronavirus.