It’s the time of year again when classrooms become choirs of sniffling students and tissues become a hot commodity on campus.
To help students “Duck the Flu,” as the University Health Center puts it, flu shots will be available at the center’s Nurse Specialty Clinic until June.@@http://pages.uoregon.edu/uoshc/nursing/nurse_specialty_clinic.html@@
“When people come back from vacation after they’ve been traveling all over the U.S. and the world, that’s the time people get exposed to the flu and start spreading it around,” said Carol Holt, a nurse at the clinic.
The clinic has given 1,600 shots to faculty, staff and students since September. Typically the clinic gives about 3,000 shots a year, Holt said.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention@@http://www.cdc.gov/@@, January and February are the peak months for flu illness@@http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm@@. The CDC recommends a flu shot for everyone older than six months. Holt said it’s especially important for students to get vaccinated.
“Students’ immune systems are wide open to illness if they haven’t been getting enough sleep or are not eating well,” Holt said.
She pointed out that crowded dorms and lecture halls also put students at a higher risk of getting infected.
“It’s difficult to tell the flu from a cold,” she said. “And students will go to class whether they’re sick or not.”
Although it’s not possible to predict how much illness will spread during the 2011-12 flu season, Holt said so far she hasn’t seen a lot of cases. The CDC reported last month that Oregon had low levels of influenza activity.
However, more Americans reported having the flu in October 2011 compared with October 2010, according to Gallup data@@http://www.gallup.com/poll/150770/cold-flu-season-kicks-off-typical-fashion.aspx@@. Even so, the number of influenza cases is still normal compared with previous flu seasons.
Holt recommends students get shots as soon as possible but said students can still get vaccinated through March because influenza remains active in April and May. Students should protect not only themselves from the flu but others as well, she said.
“I wish we could stand out in front of the health center and give shots to whoever walks by,” Holt said.
This year’s shot combines an immunization for seasonal flu viruses and the H1N1 virus. Shots cost $15 for students and are available on a walk-in basis Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.@@http://pages.uoregon.edu/uoshc/flu2011.html@@
Heath Center urges students to swing by for flu shots
Daily Emerald
January 7, 2012
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