Today@Sam Article
Health Center To Provide Free Flu Shots
Sept. 22, 2015
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
To protect Sam Houston State University’s students, faculty and staff in the upcoming flu season, the Student Health Center will offer free vaccinations over the course of six days on the SHSU main campus, as well as at The Woodlands Center.
The first vaccination days will be Oct. 6-7 for SHSU students on the main campus. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days, vaccinations will be provided in tents set up in the Lowman Student Center Mall Area and in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences plaza area.
Faculty and staff will have their “shot” at the free vaccine a week later, on Oct. 13-14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Gaertner Performing Arts Center Lobby.
Finally, Oct. 21-22, employees and students at SHSU’s TWC campus will receive free vaccinations from 1-6 p.m. on Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, in Room 111.
Participants should bring their Bearkat OneCards and wear articles of clothing that permit easy access to the upper arm.
Flu shots will not be administered to pregnant or breast-feeding mothers, nor to people with elevated temperatures or those who appear to be sick.
The vaccine also is not recommended for individuals with allergies to eggs or latex.
Supplies are limited; vaccines will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Flu vaccines are designed to protect against the main flu viruses that research suggests will be the most common during the upcoming season, including influenza A (H1N1) viruses, influenza A (H3N2) viruses, and influenza B viruses, according to the CDC.
The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease.
“People should begin getting vaccinated soon after the flu vaccine becomes available, if possible by October, to ensure that as many people as possible are protected before flu season begins,” the CDC website said. “However, as long as flu viruses are circulating in the community, it’s not too late to get vaccinated.”
Other precautions the CDC urges to avoid contracting the flu include everyday preventive actions such as staying away from sick people and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. Also, if you contract the illness or feel sick, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading flu to others.
For more information on SHSU’s flu shot program, contact health programming coordinator Lisa Clarkson at 936.294.4347.
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