Flu season, get your shots, feel good
By: Latanya Powell
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Other Stories
Beth Kimes missed classes for a full week. She felt hot, then cold. She was weak, had body aches and a sore throat. Kimes had the flu.
"Last year, I forgot to get the flu shot," said the clinical psychology major, "but I've already gotten it (flu shot) this year."
Not wanting a repeat of last year's illness, Kimes recently went to the Student Health Center to get her annual flu shot. Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a respiratory illness that normally causes high fever, coughs, sore throat, headaches, chills, muscle aches and fatigue.
"I know the flu doesn't seem that terrifying at all, but people really die from it," said Kimes.
According to Jacqueline De Fouw, Health Educator for Student Health Services, 36,000 people die as a result of the flu each year. 230,000 people are hospitalized each year with influenza.
Flu shots will be offered at the Student Health Center on Nov. 17 and Dec. 9 from noon to 2 p.m. The cost for the shot is $20, or if you prefer the flu mist, the cost is $30.
Influenza affects between five and 20 percent of the population each year. It is most often spread person to person through coughing, sneezing, and nasal secretions. To prevent getting the flu, you should wash your hands often and avoid close contact with sick people. However, according to the Center for Disease Control, the best way to prevent getting the flu is to get a yearly flu vaccination.
De Fouw said once you get a flu vaccination, it normally takes two weeks for the antibiotics to begin fighting off the flu. De Fouw strongly urges all staff, faculty and students, many who will be traveling in two weeks for the Thanksgiving holiday, to be immunized.
"Students can often bring it back with them from home or take it with them there from school," said De Fouw.
Although De Fouw encourages most students to get vaccinated, she said the flu vaccine isn't for everyone.
"The only ones who shouldn't get the vaccination are those who are allergic to eggs or have Guillain-Barre syndrome," said De Fouw. "They should talk to their doctor."
"Last year, I forgot to get the flu shot," said the clinical psychology major, "but I've already gotten it (flu shot) this year."
Not wanting a repeat of last year's illness, Kimes recently went to the Student Health Center to get her annual flu shot. Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a respiratory illness that normally causes high fever, coughs, sore throat, headaches, chills, muscle aches and fatigue.
"I know the flu doesn't seem that terrifying at all, but people really die from it," said Kimes.
According to Jacqueline De Fouw, Health Educator for Student Health Services, 36,000 people die as a result of the flu each year. 230,000 people are hospitalized each year with influenza.
Flu shots will be offered at the Student Health Center on Nov. 17 and Dec. 9 from noon to 2 p.m. The cost for the shot is $20, or if you prefer the flu mist, the cost is $30.
Influenza affects between five and 20 percent of the population each year. It is most often spread person to person through coughing, sneezing, and nasal secretions. To prevent getting the flu, you should wash your hands often and avoid close contact with sick people. However, according to the Center for Disease Control, the best way to prevent getting the flu is to get a yearly flu vaccination.
De Fouw said once you get a flu vaccination, it normally takes two weeks for the antibiotics to begin fighting off the flu. De Fouw strongly urges all staff, faculty and students, many who will be traveling in two weeks for the Thanksgiving holiday, to be immunized.
"Students can often bring it back with them from home or take it with them there from school," said De Fouw.
Although De Fouw encourages most students to get vaccinated, she said the flu vaccine isn't for everyone.
"The only ones who shouldn't get the vaccination are those who are allergic to eggs or have Guillain-Barre syndrome," said De Fouw. "They should talk to their doctor."