The Actors Fund & John Gore Organization Partner to Form the Actors Fund Flu Shot Program for Touring Companies

The Actors Fund, the national human services organization for everyone in performing arts and entertainment, has announced the launch of The Actors Fund Flu Shot Program for Touring Companies, a partnership with the John Gore Organization. The program is designed to provide flu shots to the cast, crew and traveling family members of all Actors' Equity national touring companies, as well as theatrical venue staff, while also educating them about the programs and services available to them through The Actors Fund.

The John Gore Organization and The Actors Fund established The Actors Fund Flu Shot Program for Touring Companies to provide everyone on an Actors' Equity national tour, or working in a tour venue, with access to the flu vaccination without having to locate a local doctor or pharmacy. Flu shots are made available at theater venues by trained pharmacists from CVS Pharmacy as scheduled by The Actors Fund. If patients are insured, the flu shots are billed to the insurer. For anyone uninsured, the John Gore Organization will cover the cost of the vaccine.

"This spirit of collaboration is what The Fund is all about,” said Brian Stokes Mitchell, chairman of The Actors Fund. "Thanks to the John Gore Organization, we're able to offer flu shots to hundreds in our community across the country. This builds on the health insurance guidance, enrollment and support we offer nationally—including care we offer at The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, our medical office in New York City run in partnership with Mount Sinai Doctors. It's a real win for the health of our community."

"We're sensitive to the challenges faced by the cast and crew of touring companies moving from city to city with lack of access to their regular healthcare providers," said John Gore, owner of the John Gore Organization. "We are thrilled to partner with The Actors Fund to provide a free and convenient way for the casts and crews to get their flu shots on the road this season."

The program began on September 19, 2019, and has already administered nearly 300 flu shots to the following companies (and is anticipated to provide hundreds more shots by mid-December): Les Misérables in Tulsa, OK; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in Atlanta, GA; Hamilton—Angelica tour in Philadelphia, PA; Come From Away in Cincinnati, OH; Miss Saigon in Costa Mesa, CA; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical in Portland, ME; Wicked in New Orleans, LA; Hamilton—Philip tour in Appleton, WI; Hello, Dolly! in St. Louis, MO; Aladdin in Durham, NC and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in San Francisco, CA. Upcoming flu shot clinics include The Lion King in Boston, MA.

For more information or inquiries about The Actors Fund Flu Shot Program for Touring Companies, email Project Manager Stephanie Pearl at spearl@actorsfund.org. For more on the programs and services of The Actors Fund, visit www.actorsfund.org.