With flu season underway, University Health Services will be offering flu shots for the last time this year Thursday.
UHS has administered the vaccine at locations such as the McCombs School of Business, Gregory Gym and the Facilities Services Building. According to Sherry Bell, UHS senior program coordinator, the clinic at McCombs vaccinated 976 people within one four-hour period. She said the clinics have vaccinated almost 10,000 people on campus this year.
“I can say that when we have these clinics, we take a large group of people to make sure the process is efficient,” Bell said. “We’ve done everything to reduce the barriers to get the flu shot,” Bell said.
If the University accepts their insurance, students can receive the vaccine for free. Without insurance, the vaccine costs $10. According to Bell, if students are walking on campus without the cash in pocket, the cost can be added to their “What I Owe” page.
“I feel like [the vaccine] is still a virus that they inject into you,” accounting junior Danlei Xiong said. “I did have side effects with the last shot I had, and, with the Ebola virus getting serious, I’m just really fearful of having another virus in my body.”
Xiong said even though she knows Ebola is not an airborne virus, she still feels hesitant going to highly populated areas. She said she feels that the purpose of the vaccine is to initially weaken the immune system and later strengthen it, but, knowing that, she does not want to take a chance.
Communications senior Alex Powell said he believes there should be wider promotion in support of the flu vaccination.
“It’s better to be safe then sorry,” Powell said. “It’s unfortunate. Some who are new parents and are against the flu shot choose not to give their kids the flu shot either. They’re missing out on the protection they can be giving them.”
According to Bell, the flu vaccine is a dead virus and will not cause illness.
“The flu shot should not restrict anybody from doing anything that they want to do,” Bell said. “The best thing to avoid the flu is to get the flu shot.”
From 12-4 p.m. Thursday, UHS will be at the Student Services Building administering the flu vaccine.
