Health Services is offering a free flu clinic to all students in Flanagan Gymnasium, from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday.

For the first time this semester, the clinic will give students the opportunity to get the influenza vaccine, which also contains a strain of the H1N1 virus, said Kathy VanVechten, nurse practitioner and special assistant to the director at Health Services at Syracuse University.

Between 500 and 700 flu vaccines are available for this clinic, which should more than cover the number of students expected to show up, she said. Last year, VanVechten said, Health Services gave out more than 3,000 vaccines to students. This number was up from previous years because of concerns over the H1N1 virus, she said.

‘We have plenty of vaccines, we don’t expect it to run out,’ she said.

The clinic is only for students, including State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students. Making an appointment is not necessary, but students will need to bring a valid SU or SUNY-ESF ID, VanVechten said.

VanVechten said Health Services will be offering another flu clinic to students on Thursday, Oct. 6. Officials will then gauge interest, and if enough students are still coming to the clinics, they will schedule more. If not, students can still get a flu vaccine at Health Services, she said.

Health Services will not initially be offering the flu vaccine at its office, VanVechten said. This is to encourage students to go to the flu clinics, and also to keep sick students away from healthy ones, she said.

The vaccine is a killed strain of the virus, VanVechten said, so students should not experience any symptoms other than some soreness at the site of the shot. There will be information sheets for students about the vaccine, and students are always welcome to ask the nurses questions, VanVechten said.

 ‘We’re happy to interrupt our shot-giving to give out information,’ she said.

VanVechten said although she was unsure about how many cases of the flu were reported to Health Services last year, the office has not seen any cases this semester so far. The office always sees cases of the flu from November through December, which is considered to be the flu season, she said.

‘What we find with students is when flu season hits, it’s usually during midterms and finals,’ VanVechten said. With this in mind, VanVechten said it is important for students to get the vaccine now so that they don’t have to miss class.

Nina Pelligra, a freshman English and textual studies major, said she is from the Syracuse area and will most likely go to her pediatrician instead of the clinic.

‘It’s close, and they always do it,’ she said.

Anthony Wright, a sophomore television, radio and film major, said he is unsure whether or not he will go to the clinic for a vaccine.

‘I didn’t know they were even having them. And I’m deathly afraid of needles,’ he said. ‘But I get sick too much, so I’m probably going to.’

Symptoms of the flu include coughing, sore throat, body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever and sometimes vomiting, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

VanVechten said to stay healthy students should wash their hands, eat well, get enough rest and stay away from large crowds during flu season.

Students should also be reminded that last year’s flu shot won’t protect them from the virus this year, she said.

Said VanVechten: ‘It is extremely important to get a flu shot every year,’

snbouvia@syr.edu

Published on September 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Stephanie: snbouvia@syr.edu | @snbouvia