Novartis Vaccines, Cambridge, Mass, announced a national public health initiative called Let’s Fight Flu Together! to help increase influenza vaccination rates for school-aged children. The National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and Flu Busters, an on-site vaccination provider, have partnered with Novartis for the nationwide initiative to provide convenient access to vaccination for children, their families, and teachers.

Let’s Fight Flu Together! vaccination clinics will be held for students and their families, teachers, and community members at participating PTA schools and community sites across the county.

“We are fully committed to supporting public health efforts to reduce the incidence of seasonal influenza and to protecting more people against this potentially deadly disease, especially our children,” says Joerg Reinhardt, chief executive officer of Novartis Vaccines.

Novartis will make a donation to the PTA for each vaccination administered by a Flu Busters’ health professional at a Let’s Fight Flu Together! clinic. A comprehensive list of participating sites offering influenza vaccination clinics can be found on the [removed]PTA’s website[/removed].

“PTA was founded on taking action for the health and wellness of children, parents, school staff, and community members. That’s why we’re excited about returning to our roots with the help of Novartis Vaccines and Flu Busters,” says Byron Garrett, chief executive officer of the National PTA. “We hope that offering these free clinics will make receiving an influenza vaccination convenient for people while educating them on the importance of preventing this potentially serious illness.”