With the flu season just around the corner, the nurses of Harding’s Student Health Services urge students to get the flu shot to protect themselves from the virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 20 percent of Americans get the flu, a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs, each year.
Lynn McCarty, director of Student Health Services at Harding, said there are many ways to prevent the flu but the best way is to get the annual vaccine. While it is good for everyone to get the shot, it is especially important for college students as they are in constant contact with others.
“Students live, study and worship in areas of close proximity,” McCarty said. “Viruses are easily spread through droplets in the air, germs on surfaces, and close contact such as hugging or shaking hands.”
The CDC determined that outbreaks of the flu can occur as early as October, but the peak season begins in January and goes through March.
In order for students to insure peak coverage, McCarty said students should get the injection in October. Studies show that immunity declines between six and nine months after vaccination.
Not only is it important to get the vaccine, but it is crucial to get it every year.
“It is importantto get the shot annually because immunity is short-term,” McCarty said. “Each year, the most likely strains of influenza are determined and the appropriate vaccine is produced in an effort to prevent large outbreaks of influenza.”
Despite the vaccine’s success in preventing the flu, McCarty said she wants students to know that the vaccine is not for everyone.
“A person with a known severe allergic reaction to egg protein or with a life-threatening reaction to previous administration of any influenza vaccine should not take a flu shot,” McCarty said.
While the vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu, there are other things that can prevent the virus. McCarty recommends that students maintain a healthy diet, get enough rest, practice cough hygiene and wash their hands.
Students can receive the shots at Student Health Services for $15.
