The flu is already circulating in the University of Oregon community and Lane County, according to a statement from University Health Services Medical Director Anna Hejinian.
UHS encourages students to get a flu immunization if they have not already done so, Hejinian said. Flu season starts in September and goes through April or May, according to Public Information Officer for Lane County Health and Human Services Jason Davis.
UHS administers flu shots on campus at the University Health Services Building on E 13th Ave. To schedule an “immunization consult” go to the myUOHealth portal or make an appointment with one of the immunization nurses by calling 541-346-2770. There is also a walk-in flu shot option at the UHS building, Hejinian said.
Primary care providers and pharmacies administer flu vaccines to adults and children ages 7 and up, according to Lane County. Lane County Public Health, located on W. 7th Ave., administers flu vaccines by appointment.
UO sent out an email on Sept. 20 stating that UHS would be co-sponsoring COVID-19 vaccination booster clinics with the bivalent booster tailored to the Omicron variant. The now completed clinics were located at Hamilton Hall and began offering vaccinations on Oct. 3, Hejinian said.
Students who are up to date with COVID vaccines are encouraged but not required to get the bivalent booster. If students did not submit proof of vaccination to the UHS website or request an exemption from vaccination on the UHS website, they would be unable to register for classes for the Winter 2023 term.
The UO COVID vaccination requirements are two of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID vaccine or one dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine and booster dose(s) when eligible, according to UHS. UHS accepts non-U.S. COVID vaccines that are listed on the World Health Organization, according to UHS.
UHS will be offering COVID Pfizer and Moderna boosters starting Nov. 21.
COVID vaccinations are available at pharmacies and Lane County Public Health Vaccine Clinics, according to Lane County.
UO’s Monitoring and Assessment Program located at McArthur Court is a COVID testing site on campus for UO students, staff and members of the Lane County community, according to Safety and Risk Services. COVID testing is also available to students at University Health, Counseling, and Testing Center at UHS, according to Safety and Risk Services.
Flu vaccines become available in September every year, and UHS recommends people get vaccinated in the early fall, Hejinian said. However, getting the vaccine later in the flu season will still help protect people, Davis said. “It’s always great to get your flu vaccine anytime in that window, even if it means late March; your flu vaccine warding off the flu through April. It’s still going to be worth it for you,” he said.
But what is the flu? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu, or influenza, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs.
“Influenza is a viral infection that makes people feel absolutely miserable, and in some people, can cause significant illness and medical complications,” Hejinian said.
UHS will be offering flu shots through the middle of spring when the flu season typically ends, Hejinian said. The flu vaccination is very effective at preventing illness or at least significantly reduces symptoms, Hejinian said.
It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to build up immunity in your body, Davis said. “That’s why we say the earlier you get it the better because that immunity does last six to eight months, and so you’ll have that through the majority of that flu season,” he said.
The flu is not serious for most younger people, but it can be serious for older people and young children, Davis said. For college-age people who contract influenza it’s going to be “three maybe four days of miserable upper respiratory illness, maybe a fever, and then you get better,” he said.
The influenza virus in itself won’t kill you, Davis said. It’s the mucus that builds up in your body that causes lung infections that lead to pneumonia, which is the number one cause of death by influenza, he said.
It’s important for people to get vaccinated for the flu and stay away from others when they are sick, Davis said. “It’s important I think for folks to remember that you taking prevention is not just about you; it’s not just about you feeling better and not getting sick. It’s also about you protecting others,” Davis said.
Getting vaccinated for flu also prevents spending money unnecessarily, Davis said. “It costs around $11 million dollars in outpatient services every single year and around $3 million in inpatient services,” he said. The city could put that money toward other things if people take preventative action to get a flu immunization, Davis said.
“We’re facing tough financial times, and it’s more important than ever that we spend our money wisely, that we do it in a way that promotes community resiliency in our ability to grow in a healthy way as a community,” he said.
Multiple regions in the United States are seeing increases in respiratory syncytial virus hospitalizations, according to the CDC. RSV is another respiratory virus that causes cold-like symptoms. Most people recover fairly quickly, but RSV can be dangerous for small children and older adults, according to the CDC. It is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under one year in the U.S., according to the CDC.
College-age people who contract RSV might experience more severe cold-like symptoms, but it will still only be a cold, Davis said. However, children’s airways are so small that RSV can restrict them, Davis said. An estimated 58,000-80,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized each year in the U.S. due to RSV, the CDC said.
