With flu season returning, USC is administering free flu vaccinations across campus to students and faculty to prevent the spread.
The CDC recommends that people with no allergies to the vaccine who are over the age of six months get it each flu season. The vaccination has many benefits: “it can reduce flu illnesses, visits to doctor’s offices, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as make symptoms less severe and reduce flu-related hospitalizations and deaths,” per the CDC.
USC students have the chance to remain in class and out of the doctor’s office thanks to Student Health’s “Flu and U” program. Their website includes a calendar of the different dates, locations and times that the vaccination is offered. The program also has outreach in the USC village on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and McCarthy Quad Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Several schools and programs on campus are also offering walk-in vaccination days, including Annenberg, Marshall, Viterbi and Roski.
Walk-in vaccinations are also available at the Engemann and Eric Cohen Student Health Centers, as well as USC pharmacies. Students can also schedule vaccination appointments using their Student Health account.
Student Health recommends that students be vaccinated before the end of October, as September and October are the prime months to receive vaccination from the flu.
Students who are currently on the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) can receive the vaccination at any of these locations without any out-of-pocket costs.
Students who are on independent health insurance plans can receive the vaccination from any of these locations, as well but will be billed $20 on their account. This charge is often reimbursable with students’ insurers, but it is important that students check their insurers’ policies beforehand.
Faculty and staff can receive flu vaccination from any of the locations free of charge because the USC Health Plans is sponsoring vaccinations for USC faculty.
Student Health hopes to halt the spread of the flu through this program so students and faculty stay healthy during the fall semester. Visit the program’s website for more information on the walk-in vaccination sites and to schedule an appointment.