On November 3, 2003 the University Health Services (UHS) Department of General Medicine will conduct its annual Flu Vaccine Clinic. The clinic will run for two weeks Monday through Thursday 9am to 4pm, no appointment necessary. The cost for the influenza vaccine is $10 for students, and $20 for faculty and staff. This year UHS has FluMist available, a live intranasal influenza vaccine for $50.

Influenza (“flu”) is a serious disease caused by a virus that spreads from infected persons to the nose or throats of others. It can cause fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, chills, and muscle aches. Most healthy individuals will get better in a week, but may infect others who are not as healthy resulting in hospitalization and even death. Influenza is responsible for approximately 114,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths each year nationwide (CDC).

The influenza vaccine can prevent or minimize the severity of the flu. The influenza vaccine is an inactivated (killed) vaccine and is usually a combination of 3 viruses. Protection develops approximately 2 weeks after administration of the vaccine and lasts for up to a year.

The influenza vaccine is recommended for everyone who wants to minimize their risk of catching influenza. It is strongly recommended for those over the age of 50, persons with chronic medical conditions (lung disease, asthma, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, metabolic diseases, anemia), people with weakened immune system, pregnant women, travelers, essential community services, people living in dormitories, and all people in contact with at risk individuals. People with an allergy to eggs or a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome should discuss the risks vs benefits of the influenza vaccine with their primary care providers. If you have a high fever or are ill you should wait until you are improving to receive you influenza vaccine.

Live, intranasal influenza vaccine is available to those individuals who would prefer a nasal preparation instead of an injection. FluMist is an attenuated (weakened) live vaccine which is sprayed into the nostrils. FluMist is approved for use in healthy people ages 5 through 49.

This year University Health Services is pleased to announce the availability of the Pneumococcal Vaccine. Pneumococcal disease is responsible for pneumonia (lung infection), bacteremia (blood infection), and meningitis (brain infection). One in twenty patients who gets pneumococcal pneumonia will die (CDC). People who should be vaccinated are people over 65, people with alcoholism, heart or lung disease, kidney failure, diabetes, HIV infection, cirrhosis, Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, no spleen, organ transplant, people taking long-term steroids, or radiation therapy, or people with sickle cell anemia. A second dose of Pneumococcal Vaccine is recommended if you received your first dose before the age of 65 and it has been more than 5 years since your first dost. The Pneumococcal Vaccine is available to students for $10.00 and faculty/staff for $20.00.

Don’t get caught by the flu get vaccinated!!!