The Campus Health Center offers the flu shot, but students disagree on the vaccine’s effectiveness.
Flu season usually peaks in January, but viruses begin appearing in October.
The purpose of shots is to protect recipients from various strains of the virus. Scientists predict which strains of the virus to expect each flu season. It is impossible to create a vaccine that combats every potential strain, so they choose the top suspect strains and create a vaccine to combat those, according to the Center for Disease Control’s website.
Flu shots are offered from 1-4 p.m. Mondays and from 8:30-11 a.m. Thursdays at the Campus Health Center in the west wing of the Kramer School of Nursing. They will not offer the nasal spray option this year, but the option is available at local pharmacies.
Some students claim to have negative experiences with the shot.
“The last time I got one, I was so sick I was out of school for six weeks,” said Lindsay Steinberg, acting sophomore.
The shot does not contain live flu virus strains, so it cannot actually cause the flu, reads the CDC website. Recipients may experience side effects like soreness or fever, but these are short-lived and less severe than influenza.
“People who receive the vaccine and still get sick either have something other than the flu, or they were exposed to a strain that wasn’t in the vaccine,” said Alanah Hosford, cell and molecular biology junior. “Either way, they were probably also exposed to the strains in the vaccine and were protected against those.”
The CDC does not recommend the vaccine for people over the age of 65 or those with autoimmune disorders. People who feel sick should wait to regain their full health before receiving the shot, according to CDC’s website.
“I have autoimmune disorders, so I can get severe reactions to a lot of vaccines, including the flu shot,” said Sydney Hughes, music theater senior. “But if you can get vaccinated, and you don’t really have a reason not to, I think you should. It protects you, but by extension, it also protects the rest of us.”
One student said she avoids the flu by fighting sickness naturally.
“I’ve never gotten a flu shot, and I’ve also never gotten the flu,” said Julia Grubisic, music sophomore with electives in pre-medicine. “You know why? Because I don’t share my food, and if I ever get a cold, instead of taking medicine, I let my immune system take care of it on its own. If I need something to make me feel better, I drink echinacea tea.”
Another student said she thinks people who do not get the shot are selfish.
“Don’t talk to me about how it’s ineffective, because it’s more effective than not getting it,” said Laura Jardine, biology junior. “The only legitimate reason not to get it is that you’re immunocompromised or you like to kill people. It just pisses me off.”
The Campus Health Center will accept the following insurance coverage: Aetna, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Tricare, Healthchoice, Coventry, Multiplan, United Health Care, or Cigna health insurance. Anyone without coverage may receive a flu shot for $45 or go to a local pharmacy.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldvax.htm#note
If my read of this section of CDC’s website is correct, the shot IS recommended for those over 65 and only for certain disorders like GBS, or those with severe allergies to eggs or other vaccine ingredients. Most medical folks will recommend people with autoimmune diseases receive the vaccine, as your response to your disease weakens when your body is fighting illnesses like the flu.