The school year is back in full swing, the common cold is rampant and flu season is just around the corner. With students coming into contact with new people everyday, our bodies are being exposed to all kinds of different things. While the common cold may not last long, there is another illness that students can work to prevent.
In Davies Student Center, Student Health Services is providing free flu shots on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout October.
“(We are) trying to get as many students vaccinated as possible, and keep them out of the clinic,” Kylee Prestin, Registered Nurse, said.
Prestin is in charge of the clinics and said over 300 students have already taken advantage of the program. With the event occurring in Davies Center, Prestin said SHS hopes to reach more people.
According to Prestin, the shots are easier for students to access on Lower Campus. The clinic is being held on the second floor of Davies Center in the Maple Lounge.
Prestin said the process is simple: students fill out a short form, get vaccinated and then are good to go.
Fourth-year nursing student Brent Martin said the clinic runs efficiently.
“Its free to all students (and it’s a) quick, easy process,” Martin said.
Martin is among the nursing students who are getting first-hand experience giving vaccines at the clinic. The team was able to give over 60 vaccines on one of the days the clinic was held.
Flu season is just beginning. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Wisconsin is currently experiencing a minimal impact from flu, but the season is far from reaching its full impact. They predict the season to peak between December and February.
It’s still too early to predict how this season will compare to others. Data is currently not available for the current season, but in the last season, there were over 27,000,000 million cases, 300,000 hospitalizations and at least 19,000 deaths. This was significantly higher than 2021, and if that trend continues the numbers could be even higher next year.
According to The Wisconsin Department of Health, the best possible way to prevent the flu is with a flu vaccine. With numbers rising and with other illnesses going around, SHS recommends taking a minute to receive this immunization.
“Make sure to put yourself first, before school, it’s important to take care of your own health,” Martin said.
“If you are ill, stay home, take care of yourself,” Prestin said.
Prestin said that it is important to stay healthy while on campus.There are four more clinics that are completely free to students, and only a $20 fee for faculty and staff. The clinics take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 9, Tuesday, Oct 10, Monday, Oct. 23 and Tuesday, Oct. 24, in The Maple Lounge in Davies.
Students who are unable to attend one of the clinics can schedule an appointment at SHS Monday through Friday. Appointments are available through mySHS or by calling 715-836-5360.
Leick can be reached at l[email protected]
