Complete with its usual warning signs of fever, nausea and muscle aches, University Heath Center officials said flu season hit campus this week.
With one verified case of the flu on Sunday and six cases on Monday, health center lab manager Jim Mough said the height of flu season is upon the University.
The worst of this outbreak will likely last three weeks, Mough said. Following the initial outbreak, cases may continue into February and March.
Flu statistics at a glance
| – | 200,000 people in the United States are hospitalized each year because of the flu |
| – | 36,000 people die from the flu each year in the United States |
| – | The flu vaccine prevents flu with 70 to 90 percent effectiveness |
| – | Risk of severe allergic reaction to the vaccine is less than one in 4 million |
| – | Every year, five to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors flu activity weekly during the flu season and reported normal and sporadic activity in Oregon last week, two child deaths nationally and no deaths in the Pacific Northwest.
Of the more than 200,000 cases of flu seen in the U.S. each year, 36,000 are fatal. Most deaths occur in infants and people aged 65 years or older.
Although the flu vaccine is distributed and advertised as early as October, Mough said cases of the flu virus typically appear after the holidays.
The health center’s campaign to vaccinate students last term went well, health center nurse Jayne Carey said, and the flu vaccine is still available. She said it takes two weeks after vaccination for the body to develop immunity to the flu, so students who want the vaccine should not wait to get it.
“It is especially important for students to get the vaccine if they have any chronic respiratory illness or just anything chronic like diabetes,” Carey said.
Get Vaccinated
| Where: | UniversityProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 ealth Center |
| When: | Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment necessary. |
| Cost: | $15 |
It is unknown whether the students who have been diagnosed with the flu this week were vaccinated, but Carey said they probably were not. She also said the effectiveness of this season’s vaccine is not yet known.
“This year’s vaccine protects against three of the major strains of the virus,” she said. “The flu can be reformulated every year, so it’s kind of a guess as to what (the vaccine) will target.”
Students with flu symptoms might think they have a severe cold, but health center officials said seeking medical attention during flu season will clear up any doubt. The health center lab offers rapid flu testing, Mough said, so the flu can be diagnosed in about 30 minutes.
The health center offers several suggestions to help prevent the spread of the flu virus, including washing hands often and coughing and sneezing into your elbow instead of your hands. Also recommended are getting enough sleep, eating healthily, drinking plenty of fluids, staying home when sick and avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Students do not need an appointment to get a flu shot at the health center. Flu shots cost $15 and the flu vaccination clinic is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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