On Wednesday, Nov. 1, Student Health sponsored the second round of influenza vaccinations. These vaccinations were given out all day during the non-clinic hours.

The first round of flu vaccinations was given on Tuesday, Oct. 24, exclusively to students, not faculty or staff. This round of vaccinations was posted on Blackboard and lasted for a three-day period.

The second round of vaccinations given out on Wednesday was open to students as well as faculty and staff. The vaccinations cost $20 to everyone who receives one.

These flu vaccinations are sponsored completely by Student Health and they charge only the cost of their supplies. $20 is the cheapest known cost of a flu vaccination in the community. To date Student Health has administered a total amount of two hundred and fifty vaccinations.

The flu vaccination is the best prediction of what strands of the virus will be causing the flu. Several strands are compiled into one flu vaccine. When a person receives the vaccination they are getting an inactivated, killed virus unlike the chicken pox vaccine, which is a live virus. The body then builds up antibodies to fight off the virus. The flu can be deadly; it does not always just cause a person to be sick for a couple of weeks.

The flu season occurs from October through February and the best time to get vaccinated is October or November. On average, 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu each year.

Symptoms of the flu are: fever, headache, extreme tiredness, muscle aches, nausea, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and stomach symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea.

Student Health has supplied these vaccinations for the benefit of the students and faculty.

“The flu can be very detrimental to a student because they can miss up to two weeks of classes,” said Sahannon Deal, director of Student Health. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each year, she said.

The good news is that Student Health still has 200 more vaccinations left to give out. They can be received Monday-Friday and will be administered from 8 - 10 a.m. and 1 - 3:30 p.m. E-mail reminders will continue to be sent as a way to advertise the remaining flu vaccinations. They cost only $20 and anyone can go get one. Cash, check, credit cards and Skyhawk Silver are acceptable forms of payment. But when they run out they will not be getting anymore, so go get a flu vaccination at Student Health while supplies last.