The typical flu season always coincides with the busiest travel period of the year, and last season that spelled trouble for more than 3 million U.S. vacationers whose trips were interrupted by flu-related illness, according to the Walgreens Flu Impact Report.
Walgreens Flu Impact Report series, Part I and Part II, revealed how the flu affected American’s lives last year. Key results included:
• 100 million work days lost due to flu-related illness last season, resulting in $6.8 billion in lost wages
• One-third of respondents spent between $251 and $1,000 treating the flu last season
• 32 million school days were missed due to flu last season, which also translates to missed work days and other challenges
• Interestingly, spouses and partners are evenly split when asked whether it’s easier to take care of oneself or the other person. However, when asked, one-third of women surveyed think their spouse is annoying to a “nightmare” when they’re sick, only 14 percent of men feel the same way
• Last flu season… Over 1 million weddings were missed, more than 3 million vacations were canceled or interrupted, almost 5 million holiday celebrations were missed
In addition to holidays and planned vacations, there may be other engagements and important dates that fall when flu is widely circulating. There’s no planning for an ill-timed illness, and these findings from last year’s typical flu season reinforce the importance of getting a flu shot each year.
To help combat cold & flu season, Walgreens will be giving one Coupons, Deals and More reader a Walgreens Wellness Basket (with an approximate retail value of $100+) containing:
• Walgreens Comfort Sleep Mask
• Walgreens Cough Drops
• Walgreens Wal-Born Effervescent Dietary Supplement Tablets
• Walgreens Eucalyptus Sugar Free Cough Drops
• Walgreens Gold Seal Vitamin C 500 mg Dietary Supplement Tablets
• Walgreens2-Ply Facial Tissue, White, Unscented
• Walgreens Sinus Wash Neti Pot Kit
• Walgreens10 Second Quick Read Digital Thermometer, 10 Second Reading
• Walgreens Ice Bag for Cold Therapy
• Walgreens Pain Reliever Caplets
• Walgreens Chap-Aid Lip Balm SPF 4
• Walgreens Instant Hand Sanitizer
• Walgreens Antibacterial Liquid Soap
• Walgreens Moisture Recovery Lotion
• $32 Walgreens gift card (price of a flu shot)
The Prize
There will be a total of one (1) prize given out as listed above. Winner will be required to give their NAZ to Walgreen’s PR that will ship the Walgreens Wellness Basket directly.
Entry Method
For a chance to win the prize listed above: (There is a limit of two (2) entries per person or ip address)
• First entry: Reply to this post (no spam please)
• Second entry: Tell us what you do when cold and flu season strikes – prevention or treatment – we’d like to read it all!
To Enter:
• Scroll to the very bottom of this post
• Enter your first name
• Enter your email address (no one will see it except me)
• Skip the blog line unless you have a blog
• Type in a reply
• Hit reply
That’s it!
Make sure when you reply you are using a real email address you can access so I can contact you when you win. 
Under no circumstance should you post any personal information in your response, I’ll edit that part out if you do. 
Limit two (2) entries per ip address (name, address, household, etc) as listed in the rules above. A total of one (1) prize winner (as listed above) will be notified via email provided in contest entry, and have 48 hours to respond. Valid in the USA only to individuals 18 years of age or older.
Contest ends Friday, December 2, 2011 at 11:59pm eastern.
Thank you so much for your participation!
Disclosure: I have received compensation of some form from Walgreens for this post. This post may contain advertiser affiliate links.
{ 262 comments }
Would love to win this!!
I never prevent…just treat once I have symptoms!
Thanks for this giveaway Ann.
Great giveaway, thank you!
Thanks! You can never have enough cold/flu medicine.
I use lots of hand sanitizer and try to get a flu shot each year
I would absolutely love to win this!
Consume a lot of vitamin C!
I TAKE DISINFECTANT WIPES THROUGH MY WHOLE HOUSE. I WIPE ANY THING AND EVERYTHING WHERE HANDS TOUCH. LIGHT SWITCHES, REMOTES, PHONES, KEYBOARDS, FLUSHING HANDLE, KNOBS, STAIR RAILINGS, ETC..
Before flu season hits I take a multivitamin with extra Vitamin C. Drink plenty of water, keep hands sanitized, and drink 100% Juice.
Would love to win this basket!
I stock up on Vitamin C!!!
I would love to win this! I try to take extra vitamin and i try to eat a orange or tranarine every day throgh the weekday.
Airborne daily, especially when traveling. If I start feeling tough, I take it 3-4 times daily.
i try to take extra vitamins and eat oranges and stay warm or at a stead tempeture or enviroment.
Great giveaway!
I try to eat healthy and take my daily vitamins.
The single best way I try to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits like covering a cough and washing my hands often can help stop the spread of germs.
I would love to win this but hope I don`t need it!
I always get a flu shot. And I eat many vegetables and some fruits. I also take vitamins and exercise.
My tip is to drink plenty and get tons of movies and hunker down for about 5 days!
With 6 of us in the house, someone is always needed something from this basket!!! and Walgreens is where I run to and pick up the necessities when the sniffles start!!!
I swear by a product called Bioguard. It retails for $10/bottle but is more effective than zinc IMO
…but I’m too cheap to spend the $ so I would Love this basket! Thanks!!
Thanks for the basket giveaway!
P.S. My spouse falls into the ‘nightmare’ category.
I would love to win this!! Already dealt with pneumonia with the hubs this year!!
If I feel a cold coming on its lots of Vitamin C, Nyquil every night and extra sleep!! Usually works!!
I don’t do much for prevention….washing hands, keep a clean house. So I mostly just treat the symptoms. Thank you!
I’d love to win this.
My husband’s prevention routine includes a steaming hot bath everyday. He submerges even his head. Before the baths he had bronchitis every year. Since the baths no bronchitis!
Thanks Ann!
Ann- This is a great prize for prevent the cold/flu that I am sure to get.
Would love to win.
To prevent wash hand frequently.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I get a flu shot and most of all, if sick stay home! That drives me nuts, sick people that come to work and infect everyone else.
Thanks for the giveaway. Would love to win.
We wash hands and try to disinfect more often to keep the germs down.
What a great giveaway! As always thank you for the great store match-ups! I am saving alot of money that can be used on other things!
luv walgreens. 2 win the basket would be great.
Love your blog!
Thanks for the giveaway..
Thanks for the give away!
we do lots of hand washing and lysol.
I drink water and wash my hands.
What a wonderful giveaway! Would certainly be used this winter. Thanks!!
Nice giveaway Ann!
When the flu/cold hits I rest and drink lot’s of fluids!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Stay away from germy people!
For prevention I insist on lots of handwashing…especially when the kids get home from school. We get a flu shot and I spray Lysol on frequently used items. I also carry disenfecting wipes in my car to use after shopping..imagine the germs on shopping cart handles. I’m definately not OCD but I step it up during flu season.
For treatment..as soon as I suspect one of us has flu symptoms we go to the doctor for a test and start Tamiflu. Plenty of rest and fluids are essential. And be sure to change your toothbrush when symptoms go away!
What a wonderful giveaway! Thanks for the chance
When the cold season hits, we drink a lot of hot fluids and I swear by Theraflu.
What a great prize
Wash hands wash hands wash hands
Great Giveaway!!!
I usually drink orange juice for the vitamin C and try to get as much sleep as possible. For a bad cough, I mix honey and cough medicene together he honey helps with a sore throat.
Just as I am starting to feel like I’m getting a cold, this basket would be amazingly perfect
I usually eat oranges and drink lots of water during this time of the year, but haven’t been able to get to the store to buy oranges!
I use lots of antibacterial hand gel; my dh takes extra doses of vitamin C when he thinks he’s getting sick.
Chicken soup, a warm blanket and tv reruns is my flu day cure.
Thank you!
Wash hands is a big one… get rest and stay away from others with the flu
seriously, there are so many parents who go to work sick (that they caught from their kids)
Great giveaway Ann, thank you so very, very much…. would love to win this!!!!
This is a great giveaway Ann! I’d love to win! =)
Something I try to do is avoid touching “public” things. Door handles, gas pump handles, elevator buttons, etc. I take hand sanitizer to work and make people use it. I also get a flu shot every year and eat one orange a day.
Thanks for the giveaway, Ann!
I make sure to stock up on Vitamin C and we stay in the house more hence keeping away from all of the sick people
Lots of hand washing!
Thanks for another great giveaway!
Thank you for the giveaway!
Thanks for the contest.
I make sure we take our vitamins and dress warm. The silly thing is when I’m at a store and someone is hacking near me I will hold my breath and get as far away from them as possible. Does it help….who knows?????
Lots of garlic!
thank you walgreens and Ann!
absolutely great!
drink plenty of water, vitamin C and sleep, sleep, sleep!
Thank you!
I would love to win this! thx
Have a blessed holiday season
I add more produce into meal and make sure drink enough water
I’ve fought off pneumonia that was in both lungs and nearly suffocated me as well as many many many years of the flu. The flu shot(s) alone don’t do the trick for me typically, so I have since become a vegetarian and the fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, etc. have helped to supplement the shots. That and a multi vitamin daily.
Thanks for the fabulous gift basket contest. I sure hope to be a winner but anyone who wins is lucky!!!
I try to take a vitamin everyday and wash my hands religiously durring flu season. I also get the flu shot. Thank you!
awesome basket! thanks for the chance to win, ann & walgreens!
i get a flu shot every year (except i haven’t gotten one this year yet.) i usually try to load up on the vitamin c. cover my cough and sneezes and try to get my kid to do the same. sanitize, sanitize, sanitize!
Would love the Walgreens gift card!
What an awesome prize, just perfect for the holiday’s!!
Thank you Ann, thank you WAGS!!
What a great give away!!
I have 5 kids so as soon as one shows the signs of sniffles, we start a hand washing, hand sanitizer regime to prevent it from taking over the whole house!!
I would love to win this basket!
To prevent, DD and I usually get the flu shot, but hubby and Jr. don’t believe in it, so I try my best to keep them healthy by having them take a multi vitamin and get a good night’s sleep consistently.
Hate the flu season. Some family members always seems to be sick. This would help with all the sickies.
Great Giveaway! I would love to win it!
Thanks
hope I win- starting to feel the sniffles and swollen glads hear
What a neat gift!
Would love to win this!
I always try to eat healthy and take supplements.
Woo Hoo! Maybe I’ll win and the Walgreens PR people will decide to build a store in our town
To prevent colds, I try to wash my hands a lot and not touch doorknobs in public places. If I still get sick, I’ll load up on Nyquil at bedtime and sometimes that stops it.
WOW! Thank you!
I had a chuckle reading that only 14% of men consider their wives difficult to care for vs. 1/3 of wives feeling that way. Thanks for the giveaway Ann.
I work in Peds ER and inevitably get sick each season with some horrible drawn-out cold. So, when I do get sick, I try to stay hydrated and eat lots and lots of hubby’s chicken & rice soup.
Yogurt and lots of water (My grandmother always said yogurt and I don’t know why but it seems to work, so I am going with it)
I also try to remember to take a multi daily, two when I feel a cold coming on…
I take Ester-C when I feel a cold coming on. I also use lots of hand sanitizer to try to prevent a cold.
Hand washing, hand washing, hand washing.
Wow, how cool!
I hardly ever get sick, but when I do, I’m out for a week! So, I usually treat (with prescriptions) at that point, and otc as well. I also drink lots of home remedies as well.
I get sick all the time in the winter. I swear by zucol. I take it as soon as I start feeling sick and most of the time my cold will only last a couple of days. I would luv to win the Walgreens basket.
Awesome give away!
I basically just treat symptoms.Thankfully we haven’t gotten the flu (knock on wood) but I did stock up on the Ricola and am always buying tissue.
That just tickled me about the women thinking their spouse is annoying when they are sick. My hubby is worse than my kids!
Thanks for the chance at this great giveaway!
At the first sign of sickness, We load up on meds and head to bed for warmth and rest!
Great offer. I get the flu shot each year but it doesn’t always help, then I go to work (health care field) and hope not to catch anything..it doesn’t seem to work
Thank you for the giveaway!
Just bought walgreens brand of day time and night time theraflu. Do what I can to prevent it as long as I can. Love walgreen products.
I add a little cranberry juice to my water. Sounds crazy but I started doing that last year and my ENTIRE family both living with me and extended 11 people) got the stomach bug and I somehow avoided it. Might have been a fluke but I always heard cranberry is good for immunity so I”m sticking to it.
Be great to win this!
I usually try to take Cold Eze when I first get sick and it seems to help
This looks like a great prize.
Haha.. of COURSE only 14% of men think their wives are a pain when they’re sick.. thats probably the total amount of men that even pay attention to them.
Including Mr.M’honey Wonderful. haha.. Why am I not surprised?
I usually take Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc.. suck on Horehound throat drops, gargle with warm salt water, drink lots of herbal teas, & pray.. A LOT!
I have also noticed that if I keep wheat out of my diet (in all its hidden forms as well) then my immune system is MUCH stronger.
This is Awesome!
The best way to prevent a cold is to have all the products on hand that you would need if you got sick. So if I win this basket, I will be sure to stay healthy!
use sanitizer. take vitamins. use a humidifier at night. hope 2 win the basket.
Awesome giveaway! I have one child away at school and another trying to make it on his own, this would be a great treat for them to split up.
We have cut down on cold transmission by cutting out the use of a community towel to dry our hands. Although paper towel is pricey it does help to cut down on spreading the germs.
Awesome Giveaway!
Immediately I start myself on Theraflu.
Great giveaway! Thank you, Ann!
I hope i win!!!
great prize. love it
Great giveaway, Ann!
For treatment of cold (symptoms), we love Zicam heavy congestion nasal gel. Unclogs you immediately and keeps your sinuses clear for a LONG time. We’ve tried the other brands, but they don’t seem to work as well. Maybe because they aren’t gels?
What an awesome prize!
Lots of fluids, theraflu is key!!
This would be a great gift to win. I work in a dental office and I would take it to work to share with my co-workers. The best things to do to prevent illness is to eat gooed foods and get the proper amount of sleep. And wash hands (very important!). It is good to use antibacterial lotion but dont over do it.
Love contests! Thanks Wags!
would like to win b/c i always get a cold and keep it thru the winter
i drink a lot of tea, take theraflu or something similar….sleep with a heating pad and buddle up with my 3 little 4 legged girls.
Timely giveaway. Thanks.
Wow! Winning this would be terrific!
I try to take some kind of generic flu product and go to bed.
would love to win this !! thanks Ann
before the season starts I up my vitamin C……..then lots of fluids..and rest.
clean and wipe up places we touch and use often. washing and washing is alway a good rule.
We could really use this basket
We treat with OTC medicine and lots of rest!
This is perfect to stay healthy at work.
To prevent the flu or getting sick I take a daily vitamin C gummy.
If I start to feel like I am getting sick, I start doctoring up! I would love to win.
Very Important: Handwashing,Handwashing,Handwashing!!!
How neat! I would love to win this!
This looks like a great prize!
I prevent the flu by always keeping my hands washed!
would love to win
Surely would love to win this basket
Would love to win this wellness basket!
When cold & flu season hits I wash my hand more often & take Vitamin C in hopes of warding off a cold or flu.
No flu shots for me….I love Airborne…it really helps..and handwashing x
Great give a way!
Thanks for the chance to win this…great job x
Thanks
We wash hands ll the time. we also use hand sanitizer when we cant wash hands. plus we try to drink oj and take vitamins. I would love to win this. this would help us out a ton!!!
Thanks for the chance…would love this!
I work with the public, so it’s really important for me to not get sick. I wash my hands constantly when I’m around people/out in public. If someone gets sick in my house, we try to keep everything as clean and sanitized to prevent the spread of the sickness.
Happy Birthday on December 2nd to me. I use mind over matter and think positive that I am not going to get sick and try to stay germ free in our house.
We load up on vitamin c, wash our hands way too much and try not to share too many things!
Great Giveaway! Thanks
Hope I win!
Wash my hands often as possible and take Vitamin C everyday.
I have found that a lot of the Walgreen-brand cold and flu medications work as well, and sometimes better than other name brands. I would love to win this basket.
Well considering I just got home from about theee weeks in the critical care unit at the near by hospital with pneumonia, I have been treating with several anti biotics but usually when I feel a cold coming on vitamin c and air borne and a lot of extra sanitary action going on in my house! Must say, love seeing everyone elses’ ideas too……if I can prevent a hospital stay as I just had, I will try anything!
Pneumonia is an awful illness, I just got home from a nice long stay at the hospital and need to be prepared to prevent the rest of my family from getting sick too! I can use all the help I can get right now! A house can function thru just about anything as long as mom is up and going, but when mom goes down for the count, everyone is lost, the house is in chaos, stress is high, and any type of structure goes out the window! Well, at least in my home…….my husband has been a walking zombie so to speak…..trying to work, get kids up and ready for school, visit me in hospital and cooking meals….lol, they are tired of pizza and mcdonalds….don’t hear that often from kids do you? My kids are craving a home cooked meal, even said if I would stand in the kitchen, they would cook it as long as I supervised! Lmao, poor kids and hubby…..I must say, all things considered, they did pretty well! Now to keep us all healthy…..I’m on the mendand
I want to be healthy and ready this season for sure! Great gift basket!
For cold and flu season my family steps up the hand-washing, drinks TONS of water and extra orange juice too! Also, we avoid common public play areas at ALL costs! No McDonalds playland, mall play-area or arcades for us! It just isn’t worth all the germiness! We do more outdoor things and we practice proper hygiene efforts with our kids..so they don’t spread germs to others!
thanks for the contest!
time to drink lots of hot tea and honey….
This so cool……………………………..
Wow, would love this!!
What do we do during cold & flu season? Well, since having a child 3.5 year ago, we hope for the best
Encourage hand washing but that only goes so far with a little one. He always seems to being something home and he loves to share. So … tea, honey and Tylenol Cold (for Mommy) as needed!!
This would be amazing if I win this! I never win anything!!
I am constantly taking care of sick family members: kids, grandkids, kid’s friends, son in law, husband. I visit the drug store for essentials at least twice a week. I may get everyone flu shots for Christmas!
I would love to win this basket of relief!
replying to this post
Thanks for the giveaway!
I am a crazy handwasher! Never got into the sanitizer stuff I still feel the germs are there lol I just keep my hands clean at all times, causes dry hands but I hardly get sick. I also try to take vitamin C drops.
This is a great basket!
Would you believe I have tons of sanitizer, vitamins, etc… But I’m a dork, I treat it instead of try to prevent it. Dumb, dumb, dumb….
thanks for the timely giveaway!
drink lots of water, keep hands away from face & stay clear of the clinic section of stores when sick people are there
thanks for the giveaway
As soon as I feel it I drink water and use the humidifier.
I drink lots of water and stock up on echinacea. Does the trick for me!
Thanks to you Ann & Walgreen’s for the contest!
Flu shot is first step, and if by chance you still get hit, I spray everything I touch with disinfectant, and wash hands A LOT! Oh, and drink plenty of liquids and stay away from others to avoid spreading it around.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I take vitamins and hope I dont get struck by the bug. Thanks for the giveaway.
I AM AN AVID READER OF YOUR WEBSITE.
KUDOS TO ALL THE FOLKS WHO DO THE MATCH UP AND SUBMIT THE PRINTABLE REBATE FORMS.
AND YOU ARE VERY GENEROUS WITH HAVING RAFFLES AND HAMPERS OUT.
THANK YOU
Great gift to send to my college attending daughter!
I take vitamin C every day!
Thanks! I would love this
I wash my hands a lot, especially at work :0)
Crossing fingers didn’t work to ward off the colds last season, so pretty please?
Thanks for the giveway. I hope i win.
Thanks running this contest. I would love to win this basket.
I try to take care of myself and take vitamins. Thanks for the giveaway.
thanks for the chance!
We treat the symptoms but not prevent…well exept for our daily doses of vitamin C
THANKS FOR GIVING US ALL THE CHANCE TO WIN THIS BASKET.. I KNOW I need it with 4 kids who are always getting a cold. this would be such a blessing.. Thanks again girls!!
Would love this basket!!!
I wash my hands ALot to prevent and if we do get it, REST and lots of fluids!
Wash wash wash those hands…disinfecting wipes are a must as well!
with 6 kids this gift basket would come in handy
Awesome!! I love Wags!!
We all make sure to use hand sanitizer so we dont spread the germs and we take a wellness supplement to hopefully ward off the cold. Drink lots of OJ. Use netipot.
Thanks! Wold love to win!!!
With a preschooler, it is are all about prevention, so we don’t catch every virus out there.
thz
This prize would come in handy since my husband works with the public and is always coming down with some type of crud!
Would love to win this – seems like everytime i turn around someone is getting sick
Thanks for the giveaway!
I try to prevent – I get a flu shot every year and wash my hands a lot!
I ALSO HAVE LOTS OF HAND SANITIZER THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE
would love to win! thank you!
when someone in my family gets a cold its all about pushing liquids, lots of homemade chicken soup and ginger-ale !
I would LOVE to win!
Great prize. Thanks for hosting!
As far as prevention .. lots of hand washing! With 4 kids its impossable to prevent at least one from getting sick .. but once one is sick we are strict about keeping the sick kid away from all the healthy ones!
I really would like to win this! We could use the items in the basket during flu & cold season for sure!
mnrquick at yahoo dot com
I love walgreens, they have great items and good prices.
Prevention – lots of hand washing.
Treatment – Mucinex, day/night cold OTC medication, lots of fluids.
For prevention I use vitamin c, neti pots and hand sanitizer. For treating colds or flu we load up on cough cold & flu medicine. Of course we keep tylenol and I buprofen on hand for the fever that comes along with these colds & flu! We also use humidifiers at night. And who can live without kleenex during a cold or flu? . . Not us! We stock up on that too!
Already have my first cold of the season. Hope everyone stays well.
Thank you for the opportunity. Not working at the moment. I would love (and need) to win this.
Great prize! Would love to use it this winter!
We keep vitamin C, cough drops, and orange juice on hand pretty much at all times. I also talk to pharmacists when I feel something coming on, so that I can hopefully avoid going to a doctor.
I have two small children ages 1 and 2 so during cold and flu season we wash our hands often and sanitize if we are around a lot germs!!!
Thanks for all you do!
I would love this!! Thanks!
When I have a cold, like now, I write down which otc med I took and the time. This prevents overmedicating.
Wash hands and take vitamin c
Working with kids and having kids this would be very appreciated!
Thanks for the entry
The first thing I do is clean all of the handles in my house! Then I grab the tea and multivitamins. Always have chicken soup simmering too!
Since I’m pregnant, I have to just suffer through any cold/flu.
Great Giveaway!
Would love to win.
Great idea!
For prevention, regular consumption of orange or cranberry juice, washing hands thoroughly and wearing gloves and scarves in high population areas. Once the flu hits, I also swear by Theraflu which contains high doses of acetaminophen. I slather Aquaphor on my lips, wear a Bed Buddy Sinus Pack (available at Walgreens. Visit Carex.com for a coupon!)) over my sinuses, drink as much tea with lemon juice as I can, hot chicken soup (even if its from a can and not fresh broth), take hot showers, and sleep, sleep, sleep until the virus exits my system. Ear plugs and a sleep mask block out noise and light. I turn the ringer off my phones and tell people I will NOT be checking e-mail for a LONG TIME. The Tylenol/Acetaminophen and chicken broth are really the life savers.
hand washing is a MUST!!! stock up on cold/flu & fever reducing medicine…..lots of water & orange juice. Soup is not big in our house….but ramen noodle soup is!!
Thanks Ann!
Well I may sound like a commercial but for those tickle type coughs that can drive you crazy there is nothing like Cold-Eez tablets!
LOTS of hand washing, germ gel and prayers!
netti pot helps unplug the sinus and lots of hand washing. Also Lysol the house down.
Stock up on everything for your colds for next to nothing by following the tips on Coupons, Deals and more. This way you are armed for anything !!!!!
I wash my hands a million times a day and get my flu shot every year
Thanks for offering the giveaway!!
My best tip is a cup of hot tea after work in the afternoon and another in the late evening. (Maybe a sweet with the late evening one.)
thanks
I would love to win. Thanks for the chance.
I wash my hands a lot and use a lot of Lysol/Clorox wipes at work.
Thank you for the giveaway I like to have mucinex and airborne handy for when I have a cold. I take airborne for prevention and also durring a cold and mucinex to fight the rest of my symptoms
I make sure that I get a flu shot every year & when things start “going around,” I will start taking echinecea to supplement.
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