The Health and Counseling Center is offering flu shots to students for $20 during the week of Oct. 13 to Oct. 17.
If students are insured through the DU Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), the flu vaccine is free.
The flu shot is also available at Walgreens for $24.99 and through the Safeway pharmacy for $28.
Flu shots will be available to students, faculty, staff and partners of DU employees.B
The flu shot clinic will be open for walk-ins from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.B
No appointment is necessary for those receiving only a flu shot.
The Health and Counseling Center will conduct business as usual during the week.B
Students can still make regular appointments for medical care and counseling.
Shots are also available during regularly scheduled appointments before or after the clinic week.
The vaccine can take one to two weeks to be effective.B Flu season peaks in February and March, so the center recommends that students are vaccinated in Sept. and Oct.B
The center recommends that students wear a short-sleeved shirt to get their flu shot.
Flu shots will be administered at the law school one night during the week.B
The health center is also considering setting up stations elsewhere around campus, said Katie Dunker, health promotions coordinator for the Health & Counseling Center.B
Prevention is much easier than treatment in the case of the flu, said Dunker.
“When students are sick and they’re out… wow it’s rough on them,” said Dunker.B Especially on the quarter system, students cannot afford to miss classes for a week, she added.
The flu shot is not a live vaccine, so it does not cause the flu, as some think.B
For those afraid of needles there is a nasal spray vaccine called FluMist available from pharmacies in the area.B
The health center does not offer FluMist due to negative student reactions, said Vicki Dehner, R.N. and nurse manager at the health center.B
“It was marketed for people who don’t like shots, but those people typically don’t like having mist sprayed up their nose either,” said Dehner.
Last year the Health Center administered about 1,200 shots on campus, though not all during the flu shot week.B
Last year’s vaccine was not as effective as usual, so the center is expecting some student hesitation about getting a shot this year.B
Outside medical assistants and nurses will administer the shots.B This helps the Center to maintain the level of service usually provided to students.B
Regular staff members will continue to see students for other medical and counseling issues during the week.
“We can keep the clinic open and keep a good level of service for students,” said Dunker.B “It doesn’t drop off during the flu shot clinic week.”
Promotion for the week is underway.B
There is a link to information on WebCentral and flyers will be posted around campus.B
A Facebook page is also going to advertise the event.
The Health and Counseling Center already has its supply of flu shots for the season.B
“We’re definitely ready and prepared,” said Dunker.
