Shaunna Cullen – General Assignment Reporter –
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends any person over the age of six months to obtain a flu shot.
Ken Alba, senior English major said he will probably not get a flu shot this year, although he has in the past.
“I prefer that the people who absolutely need them [flu shot], the elderly and the young get them. My immune system is pretty good,” said Alba.
Brigitte Stiles, RN, BS
Associate Director of Health Services for Wellness Programs, who has gotten a flu shot every year for the past 37 years, said everyone who is eligible should get the flu shot.
“It’s far better than being sick for two to three weeks,” said Stiles.
The flu shot that the Wellness Center is offering is called Fluviron and protects against both A and B flu virus strains. This shot, Stiles said, is an inactivated vaccine; the shot administered is a “killed” form of the flu.
Senior Exercise Science major Jaclyn Sullivan said western medicine overprescribes/over advertises medicines, including the flu vaccine.
“If I get the flu,” Sullivan said, “I’ll worry about recovering when that happens.”
According to the CDC, it can take up to two weeks for a person who has received the flu shot, to develop antibodies. During this time, some people may experience flu-like symptoms but most will not be as severe as getting the flu.
On the CDC’s website, it is noted that it is still possible to contract the flu even if a person has received a shot. It depends on “the age and health status of the person getting vaccinated, and if the viruses in the vaccine and the influenza viruses circulating in the community are closely matched, vaccine effectiveness is higher.”
The vaccine can still prevent complications with other flu virus strains because of the antibodies that are created after receiving the flu shot.
On Southern’s main webpage, you can access the Wellness Center’s page which provides a wealth of information about how to “boost your immune system” and also “tips to avoid getting sick during flu season.”
“We try to make [getting the flu shot] as convenient as possible,” said Stiles.
Stiles said students may also receive the flu shot for $15 at the Wellness Center if they would like to make an appointment. Students who are on the Aetna Student Health Care Plan can receive the shot at no charge.
