Rainy season has begun, and flu season will soon follow. In anticipation of the yearly fever onslaught, the University Health Center will offer flu vaccinations beginning Oct. 15 for students and Oct. 17 for faculty and staff.
Jayne Carey, a nurse at the health center, said flu vaccination is essential for busy college students who want to stay healthy.
“Flu interferes with people’s everyday lives,” said Carey. “When people get the flu they literally are confined to bed, and it really sets them back at work and school.”
Carey said students who catch the flu may risk complications associated with staying in bed for too long and dehydration.
The health center administers about 2,000 influenza vaccines a year to students, faculty and staff, less than one-tenth of the total campus population. Carey said there are many reasons why some don’t get vaccinated, and one of them is apprehension.
“I think some of it is fear of needles,” she said. “Some go under the assumption that they might get the flu from the needle.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that assumption is a myth. Some people may get

some soreness and redness for a day or two where the shot was administered, but serious problems from the flu shot are very rare.
Martha deBroekert of the Lane County Public Health Department said, “another big reason people don’t get vaccinated is they think, ‘that isn’t going to happen to me.’”
Assuming one is immune, however, may be a mistake. Influenza is a serious disease of the nose, throat and lungs, and new flu strains erupt annually.
Experts from all over the world prepare for the new flu season each year before the cold weather kicks in, assessing which strains of flu will be contagious in the coming months and creating vaccines that protect against the specific strains. This year, five vaccine manufacturers sent vaccines guarding against three different flu strains to hospitals and health centers worldwide, according a press release from the Food and Drug Administration.
Influenza is especially dangerous because it can lead to pneumonia. According to the CDC, 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized because of the flu each year; however, the number of flu-associated deaths is indeterminable because states are only required to report when a child dies from the flu.
Those who are squeamish around needles have no excuse for not getting vaccinated, deBroekert said, because the Lane County Public Health Department offers an alternative vaccination method, FluMist, a nasal spray.
Jayne Carey said vaccinations are especially important for those with chronic illnesses.
“People who have diseases like heart disease or asthma have increased risks of complications from getting the flu,” she said. “They risk missing a lot of school.”
Carey said lack of sleep is also a big risk factor. During sleep, the body produces essential nutrients that keep it healthy and fight infections.
The health center administers flu vaccines Monday through Friday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. for students, at a cost of $15. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Friday mornings from 8 to 9 a.m. faculty and staff, University retirees, domestic partners and dependent children ages 13 or older can be vaccinated at a cost of $30. The shot is free with a Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon insurance card. Students should bring their University identification card.
The Lane County Public Health Department also administers flu vaccines on selected dates for $26. For a clinic schedule, visit http://www.lanecounty.org/HHS_PubHlth/Flu_Clinic_2006.htm.
Contact the crime, health and safety reporter at [email protected]