Think it”s too late to get your annual flu shot? Think again.
Active flu season usually begins in October, then peaks in January or February and runs until as late as May. Across the United States, millions of people experience fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, fatigue and miserable days spent in bed. Some may not realize that the flu also causes hundreds of thousands of hospital visits and thousands of deaths each year.
For college students, this can mean missed class time or assignments, missed work hours and missed activities with friends. For many students, missing a week or more of classes will lead to poor performance on exams, lower grades and needing to withdraw from classes.
Emily Tuschhoff
Vandal Health Ed
As long as the flu virus is circulating, typically until May, it is not too late to get your vaccine. So far this season, flu activity across the U.S. has been low, but health officials anticipate seeing a spike in the next several weeks. The flu vaccine is the No. 1 way to protect yourself against the flu virus and keep up with your coursework this semester.
In addition to protecting yourself from getting sick, benefits of the flu shot include protecting those around you who may be at an increased risk of getting sick, making your illness milder if you do get sick, and reducing your risk of more serious flu outcomes including hospitalization and death.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone over the age of six months be vaccinated unless they have an allergy to the vaccine or vaccine ingredients. If you have questions or concerns about whether the flu shot is for you, talk to your primary care provider.
Taking practical measures including staying home if you feel sick, washing your hands frequently and covering coughs and sneezes with your elbow can help prevent the spread of the virus. While maintaining a healthy lifestyle is critical to lifelong health and wellness, it is oftentimes not enough to ward off the nasty flu virus. Vaccination and these techniques are critical to curbing the spread of the virus across campus.
It”s easy for myths about the flu shot to spread around campus, so when making your decision about getting vaccinated, be sure to base it on facts. The flu shot will not give you the flu, the flu shot does not weaken your immune system and you cannot take antibiotics to fight the flu. Most importantly, don”t let a prior history of health keep you from getting the vaccine. The flu can strike in even the healthiest individuals.
To make getting the flu shot easy and accessible, Vandal Health Ed has a free clinic scheduled on campus Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the TLC Lounge. Bring your Vandal Card and get a free meningitis vaccine if you haven”t already.
Emily Tuschhoff is the Vandal Health Ed Coordinator. She can be reached at [email protected]