OCR Text |
Show 9 Tis the season, flu shot season RACHEL ROBERTSON As the season gets cooler and students return from Fall break, influenza season kicks off. No, this is not a new season of a show to binge watch on Netflix. Influenza, the flu, is defined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as a contagious disease that spreads around the United States every winter, between October and May. The CDC reports that every year one in four college students are diagnosed with the flu. Students are susceptible due to shared bathrooms, cramped living spaces or that Solo cup that was passed around on Friday night. These are a few factors that go overlooked when saying no to the flu shot. Ten minutes and $20 can save students from missing classes, powder days, parties and the pain that is the flu. The secret to beating the flu? The preventive measure of getting a flu shot. Students with health insurance can head to the nearest Smiths pharmacy or Walgreens and save $20. Most insurance plans are accepted and students can walk away paying nothing. At these pharmacies, all students need is an insurance card and they can walk in without an appointment and be out the door vaccinated within 10 minutes. Students can also head to the Student Health Services on campus located in the basement of the Shaw Student Center and receive a shot for $20. Stephanie Nagata, the practitioner in Student Health Services on campus, says that she highly encourages all students to get the flu shot. The shot protects you, Nagata said. But also the people around you in your life. Nagata outlined the importance of students getting the flu shot and stressed that if students are deathly afraid of needles, the flu vaccine is also offered in a nasal option involving no needles. The CDC reported in 2010 that almost 80 percent of the flu cases are found in people under the age of 30, the primary target of this disease being young adults. College health centers nationwide have had to deal with cases of the flu and every year they brainstorm to make a push for students to get vaccinated. The nationwide percentage for students receiving a flu shot is 10 percent according to the CDC. So why do college students avoid the vaccine? An anonymous random survey of 103 Westminster students was conducted and it found that only 20.4 percent of students receive a flu shot. 83 students circled no when asked if they got the flu shot last year. When asked why they didnt get the shot, the answers varied ranging from because I didnt need it, Im I dont scared of needles, mind being sick, I dont like things in my body-- like shots. hippy, too lazy, I forgot, STAFF REPORTER the more people who get them the less likely I am to get the flu, and more. I was lazy and I didnt get the shot, said Mena Dardani, junior nursing major. And then over Christmas break I got the flu. It sucked. The University of Minnesota did a study and found that for every two people vaccinated against the flu, there was one Afewer day of flu or flu-like lness. Minnesota is leading the charge for colleges getting their students and faculty immunized. Last year the university immunized 11, 810 students and faculty. Minnesota is running the flu shot campaign with the slogan Do it for the herd! This year they hope to set a Guinness World Record for largest group of flu immunization. They hope to immunize 50,000 students. The Student Health Services Office is a four minute walk or less from all buildings on campus. Stephanie Nagatas office Fridoors are open Monday day from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Students can walk in or schedule an appointment and receive a flu shot for $20. More information about preventing the flu can be found on Westminsters website under the Student Health Services page. Got an opinion? We want to hear it. Give us your thoughts ly on flu shots and add - For some, getting a flu shot is as easy as walking to a local pharmacy and waiting five minutes. This one simple pinch can help you beat the flu this season. Rachel Robertson, senior communication major, is getting a flu shot in the photo. forum-fortnight- flu. each major. This will include creating a final portfolio, which is currently part of the LE requirement. All of the work a student does, through W Core and their major, will culminate in a final event each spring called Celebrating Your Path. The event will allow students an opportunity to showcase their senior projects, portfolios, and undergraduate research. According to the Liberal Education Committees report, the Celebrating Your Path event Celebrate our accomwill plishments as a community of learners committed to student success. What are your thoughts on the LEs? Let us know on the Forums Facebook page. v |