Flu season is almost here, but so is Flu and U, USC’s vaccine program.
USC Student Health kicked off the flu vaccination outreach program on Tuesday, giving students, staff and faculty easy access to flu shots on campus.
“We strongly recommend everybody get a flu shot,” said Dr. Sarah Van Orman, USC’s Chief Campus Health Officer. “We have lots of flu shots available on campus, it’s so easy to get a flu shot. So [we] really encourage everyone to get the flu shot as a way to protect themselves, prevent themselves from getting knocked out for the flu, and also to protect people in their community.”
Although influenza is a common infection, many overlook the negative effects the flu can have on your body. Symptoms of the flu may include fever, cough, runny nose, fatigue and headache. Severe cases can require hospitalization.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend everyone six months and older to receive seasonal flu vaccines because of the infection’s changing variants.
“We get a different variant of the flu and some years it’s only a little bit of a shift, other years it’s a bigger change,” said Dr. Paula Cannon, a professor of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology at USC. “If it’s very different, the vaccine you got last year or even the bout of flu you might have got last year won’t really protect you against this season’s [flu].”
Students can either make appointments through MySHR or walk in at the Engemann (UPC) and Eric Cohen (HSC) Student Health Centers, while staff and faculty can walk in at these locations starting from Monday, Sept. 11.
All UPC students, no matter the insurance plan, will be eligible for flu shots at no cost on Sept. 20, along with free snacks at Student Health’s Flu Prevention Kick-off Day located at the Farmer’s Market in McCarthy Quad from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM. The same event will take place for HPC students on September 28th at the Eric Cohen Open House from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Pappas Quad.
This is not the first time USC has implemented prevention methods against influenza. According to Dr. Van Orman, mandating flu vaccines during the 2021~2022 school year saw great success.
“During the 2021-2022 year, we actually required students to get flu shots,” she said. “It was the only year we required it and we actually had almost no flu on campus.”
Interviews with students revealed the reasoning behind USC’s push for flu shot awareness as posters are being hung up around campus.
Some students feel very strongly about their annual flu shot.
“I think it’s important for me because I get it every year, just because I hate getting the flu. It’s actually the worst. Especially when I’m in school, I don’t like being out of school to be sick. So, when it’s time, I’ll get it,” said Samantha Breen, a freshman majoring in computer science.
For freshman psychology student Tiare Cabrera, taking the vaccine means being a part of the prevention system.
“It’s very important. I mean, I don’t want to get anyone sick or get sick myself, so I want to try to be a part of that prevention,” said Cabrera.
Students like Abduowasay Siddiqui, a graduate studying data science, view the responsibilities of being vaccinated as beyond themselves.
“I think [the flu shot] is pretty important for everyone, not only me,” Siddiqui said. “If I’m getting ill or sick, I might carry on the disease to someone else. So yeah, it’s important for everyone actually.”
While there will be no extra costs for students on the SHIP/Aetna insurance plan, a reimbursable $20 bill will be charged to the accounts of students with other external insurance plans.
For additional information, visit Flu and U.