Health Center Still Offering Free Flu Shots

By Bahnan Yamin, Staff Writer

The Center for Disease Control says it is peak flu season and says the shot is a good way to try and avoid getting sick.

Students looking to avoid the flu this winter might want to head over to the Valley College Heath Center and ask for the free shot – while supplies last.

The Health Center, which has distributed flyers about the availability of the shot, has not seen a lot of students taking up the free offer.

“The reaction is very minimal,” said Sonia Nodal last week, who is a physician’s assistant at the Health Center.

According to the Center for Disease Control, “a flu shot cannot give you the flu. Flu vaccines that are administered with a needle are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made with flu vaccine viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ and are therefore not infectious, or with no flu vaccine viruses at all.”

According to Newsweek, “the last flu was one of the worst on record and it’s about to start again. The season runs through fall and winter but usually peaks sometime after December but before February is over. While the peak usually happens within those months, the season can run late into the springtime.”

“It’s recommended to be vaccinated by the end of October,” the CDC stated. “That doesn’t mean those who miss that time frame shouldn’t get their vaccine. The vaccine can still protect people who get it later in the season and stop the flu from spreading further.”

If you contract the flu, the best way to fight it is to rest in bed because sleeping will accelerate recovery. In addition, it is recommended that those infected with the flu eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of fluids. The CDC added, “treatment with antivirals works best when begun within 48 hours of getting sick, but still can be beneficial when given later in the course of illness.”

“This year the flu vaccines have been updated to better match circulating viruses. The B/Victoria component was changed and the influenza A(H3N2) was updated,” according to the CDC.

The Health Center is located in the Student Union Building and is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.