Part promotional effort, part PR corrective maneuver, and part desire to do something good – Uber is giving out free flu shots right now.

If you live in Boston, New York, or Washington D.C., Uber will coordinate a flu shot for up to 10 people per Uber request – at least for the next few hours. The promotion ends at 3 pm EST.

“UberHEALTH will be available today, October 23, in Boston, New York and DC from 10 am until 3 pm EST, and Uber users can request this service within their Uber app. Upon arrival, users will receive a flu prevention pack and the option to request a flu shot from a registered nurse for up to 10 people – all at no cost. Even better, for every shot given, Uber will donate $5 to the Red Cross to support vaccination efforts for children including its Measles & Rubella Initiative.”

So to answer the biggest questions, no, Uber drivers won’t be sticking needled in arms. Uber will coordinate with travel health services Passport Health and Pager for the RN’s to administer the flu shots.

Out of the many Uber promotions, this is probably the one with the most societal benefit. Although delivering kittens and Christmas trees is fun and all, flu shots are a bit more important.

And after a string of highly-publicized attacks on passengers, Uber sure needs some goodwill.

Image via US Army Corps of Engineers, Flickr Creative Commons