Photo by Erin Cooper
By Catalina Righter
Elm Staff Writer
This week, sharing nicely as we do in our small-school environment, it seems that everyone and their mother has had some form of sickness. Luckily, coming up on Oct. 1, Health services will be offering flu shots for all students and staff in the Egg of Hodson. The cost is $20, but students need bring only their ID, as it will be billed directly to their accounts. Staff must bring cash.
On the days of the vaccinations, several staff members of health services, along with two volunteers from the local hospital, will be administering the flu shots. There’s no need to register for the shot, just get in line. Recipients will fill out two papers; one that asks about potential allergies to the influenza vaccine of chicken eggs, and one that is a vaccine record for the college. Students who are minors will need to provide parental contact information.
Flu shots are very important to the well-being of the school. Lisa Marx, head of Health Services for the College, said, “We need to get the message out as the CDC [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] has predicted an earlier onset to flu season this year and we need to protect as many students, faculty, staff, family and friends as we can.” It takes approximately two weeks after the vaccine for the body to build up immunity, which is why vaccines are being given in the fall. Marx also strongly recommends getting immunized each year.
“Every year. Every single year…You want to get the vaccine because you’ll be protected from last year’s virus and we hope to limit exposure to this year’s novel viruses that may pop up. It updates itself.” Because of these constantly updated viruses, it is still possible to get the flu after a flu shot, but even a vaccine for the wrong strain can offer some protection against related viruses, according to the CDC website.
Many reservations still exist for about getting the flu shot. Some believe that they don’t need it, being healthy young adults. While it is true that the flu most severely effects the very old and very young, “Persons aged under 65 years accounted for approximately 50 percent of reported cases” last year, quotes the CDC website. It is also worth to note that many on-campus organizations include outreach programs that will lead to contact with the very old and the very young. Flu shots can help ensure that we don’t spread sickness as well as aid during our volunteering efforts.
Some fear that the actual vaccine may be spreading the flu. But according to Marx, this is not the case.
“It’s a dead virus, not the live kind of form [of the influenza virus]. The intranasal is a live form, but we don’t use that here.” This is better for people with asthma or allergies because their bodies are already involved in an immune defense. Each vaccine is in a plastic one-use syringe that is then disposed of. As for those students with needle issues, there’s not much to say except strap on your courage and bring a friend along who makes you laugh. A rest area will be set up after for those who need to recover, and Tootsie Pops have been ordered for all those brave enough to take a step towards protecting everyone on campus. “I think peer pressure in this situation is a good thing,” said Marx.
She also has a list of other measures one can take to stay away from sick days. “The normal stuff that probably most of us don’t do when we live on campus, trying to reduce your stress, getting enough sleep, eating properly with good nutrition, drinking plenty of fluids, washing your hands, and staying away from your sick friends.” For those who do end up with the flu, stay in your dorm and make a call to Health Services. During flu season they set up a call screening service to help the large volume of cases. For confirmed cases of the flu, they recommend students communicate with their professors and go home. In cases for where that is not an option, Health Services can arrange food delivery from Dining Services to keep infection out of the dining hall, and help the roommate of the sick student find a new place to stay. Moral of the story: pressure your roommate to get the shot too, or you may be driven from your dorm or forced to play Mother Teresa.