As summer weather comes to an end and cases of the sniffles and sneezes grow ever more prevalent among students, flu season is just around the corner, officially commencing in October.

The indecision to take preventative measures, i.e. a flu vaccination, could result in a week of misery, missed schoolwork and, in extreme cases, hospitalization and death.

Injectable flu vaccines contain inactive, non-pathogenic strains which allow your body to build up an immunity to the virus and its various forms prior to exposure.

The influenza virus mutates at an alarming rate, so if you’ve received flu vaccinations in the past, they are no longer effective in protecting you from the flu.

It has been shown that individuals from age 18-24 respond best to flu vaccines, with nearly 80-90 percent efficacy.

This year the Health and Counseling Center is providing free flu shots. I repeat: free flu shots. Do not take this for granted, and go get yourself a flu shot for the sake of your peers and fellow classmates.

The shots are administered each Wednesday from 1-3 p.m, and on Thursdays from 9–11 a.m outside the Coors Fitness Center.  Don’t forget to bring your student ID.

However, if you have severe allergies to eggs or have had a previous allergic reaction to the influenza vaccine, it is recommended that you do not receive the vaccination.

Common side effects caused by the vaccine include redness and soreness around the area of injection, fever and general malaise.