Health & Wellness

Flu vaccine shots offered to students at the SDA McClintock building

As a part of the USC Flu and U vaccine program, flu shots will be offered in various schools for the next two months.

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Students can receive their flu shot in the McClintock Building on campus. (Photo by Corinne Smith)

By Katie Simons and Jude Ocañas

Fall has (unofficially) arrived, which means flu season is just around the corner. The School of Dramatic Arts offered flu shots in the McClintock Building (MCC) lobby Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event was part of USC’s vaccine program, Flu and U, which is kicking off a two month outreach effort that includes several flu vaccine events for students and faculty on campus.

Over the next two months, a number of schools on campus will offer students a chance to get their flu shots in a convenient location. Schools include the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, School of Architecture and Price School of Public Policy.

“I actually got an email yesterday and I saw that they were doing this at a very convenient time right after my class in the building,” theater major Brooke MacDougal said. “So I decided to just walk right out of class and do it in less than five minutes, maybe three. It was really, really easy and didn’t hurt.”

For students on Ship/Atena health insurance plans, there are no out of pocket costs. However, for students on other plans outside of USC, $20 is billed to a student account to cover the cost of the vaccine.

Acting, stage and screen major Jayden Adams-Ruiz said that both the price and the location was a factor in students deciding to get the flu vaccine.

“I think [the location] encourages lots of students to be able to do this because it’s right here,” Adams-Ruiz said. “It’s free or just $20.”

Although flu activity doesn’t tend to spike until October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, students like psychology major Tiare Cabrera wanted to get their shot “as fast as possible,” in order to protect those around them. Cabrera said she was getting the shot to protect her baby niece.

“I really want to make sure that she’s not getting sick,” she said.

According to the Flu and U website, flu shot pop-ups will be held Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the McCarthy Quad Farmer’s Market and Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the USC Village.

Flu shots will also be available at the Annenberg Patio Sept. 25, in room RGL103 at the Price School of Public Policy Sept. 27, the west patio at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry Sept. 29, in the West Hall of the USC School of Architecture Oct. 6 and in Iovine and Young Hall at the Iovine and Young Academy Oct. 26.