The communal lifestyle of on-campus living mixed with the close quarters of lecture classes sometimes leads students to catch sicknesses from their peers. But as flu season gets into full swing, University students have one less reason to worry about neighbors coughing and sneezing on them during classes. The Student Health Center will administer flu vaccination shots starting Oct. 22 until Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day. “Flu shots will be offered on a first come, first served basis,” said Mendy Escudier, registered nurse at the Health Center. “There are 2,400 shots available, and the shots are offered while supplies last. We recommend that students come as early as possible to make sure that they can receive a shot.” Christine Sullivan, nurse manager at the Student Health Center, said the shot costs $10 for students and $20 for current and retired faculty and staff. “I think it’s a good deal – $10 and you don’t get the flu,” said Christie Melebeck, communication disorders sophomore. “Having the flu while you’re in school – especially during midterms weeks – can really put you out.” Sullivan said students do not need an appointment to get the vaccination. Walk-ins are accepted, and she said students should not expect waits. She said bringing exact change or a check, a student ID and wearing a short-sleeved shirt will hasten the process. “There is a two-week incubation period before your immunity sets in,” Sullivan said. “And we recommend everyone gets the flu vaccination.” Frank Welch, medical director of the Louisiana Office of Public Health Immunization Program, said the flu can cause illness and even death particularly among the elderly, sick and young children. He said the virus is easily spread among college students because they are in close quarters. Welch said influenza is a virus that easily spreads through airborne methods such as talking, coughing and sneezing. He said there are multiple strains that circulate around the world every year, resulting in 36,000 deaths annually in the United States alone. Welch said it is important college students get the vaccine to protect themselves and prevent transmitting the virus to others. Welch said the vaccination is given intramuscularly in the deltoid muscle of the shoulder, a relatively insensitive area. “It’s virtually painless,” Welch said. “You’ll feel like a little bee sting when the needle goes in.” He said the mild pain of the shot is a less painful alternative to getting the flu and coping with the symptoms. Welch said people who have experienced allergic reactions to a flu vaccine in the past or who are allergic to eggs should not get the vaccine. He said the only complication people get from the shot is a sore arm two to three days after, a good sign the patient’s body is responding well to the vaccine. He also negated a common misconception. “The adult flu vaccine is incredibly safe and incredibly effective,” Welch said. “The flu vaccine is not composed of live flu virus particles in any form. In fact, [it is made] just from the surface proteins of the flu virus. Therefore, it is impossible for the flu vaccine to give you the flu.” Welch said the flu vaccine is readily available this year, despite having shortages or delays in the production of the vaccine some years.
Kalan Warrick, mass communication sophomore, said he has never received a flu vaccine.
“I never really get the flu anyway,” Warrick said. “So I just never thought it was necessary. But if the Student Health Center is offering it for a cheap price like that, why not [get the shot]?”
Adrien Lorrain, accounting freshman, said he got the flu vaccine while at home during fall break.
“It’s a pain to get it,” Lorrain said. “But what happens is you get the flu once, and then every year after that when flu season comes you think, ‘Man, I was so stupid that one year. I could have just gotten a shot, and none of this would have happened.'”
—Contact Nicholas Persac at [email protected]