The flu. Surely images of misery, pain, and perhaps certain bodily excretions are running through your head right now. Fear of missing days of school is also not a delightful thing to think about for many. Luckily for Salt Lake Community College, avoiding that mess will be as simple as coming to school.
The Health and Wellness Center will continue their annual tradition of adding the flu shot to the line of immunizations that SLCC students can receive. Michelle Neeshan, Interim Director of Health and Wellness Services here at SLCC is eager to spread the word so that the flu doesn’t spread instead.
Beginning the second week of October, flu shots will be available for all students, faculty and staff. The Health and Wellness Center will provide a variety of settings in which to receive the vaccine.
The clinical staff will be available during regular clinic hours at the South City and Taylorsville Redwood Campuses to administer the shots with no appointment necessary. To make things even more convenient, staff will be available in the Student Center, the Administration Building, and the Technology Building to vaccinate.
Don’t have classes at either of those campuses? No worries. According to Neeshan, staff will visit a new campus each week so that students at the Jordan and Miller Campuses don’t get the shaft when it comes to the shot. She urges students to watch the SLCC website for updates on locations and times for immunizations. An introductory e-mail will also be “blitzed” to all and flyers will be hanging in abundance on each campus.
Nervous about being jabbed in the arm with a needle by someone you don’t know? Neeshan assures the staff administering the shots are well trained and have given thousands and thousands of shots.
“[They] are excellent shot givers,” said Neeshan.
Students, faculty and staff shouldn’t be worried about their wallets either. Neeshan concedes that the cost of the vaccine was more this year, so each shot will be more expensive, but it’s still a great deal. Students can receive the shot for just $15, while faculty and staff pay just $20.
“We always try to give the vaccine for the lowest possible cost we can to our students. We aren’t here to make money, just cover the cost of the vaccine and supplies,” said Neeshan. Despite the price hike, Neeshan still feels it’s a great value.
“I would ask that everyone please get vaccinated. Even if folks don’t normally get sick or get over it quickly, we ask everyone to consider their friends, children or co-students/co-workers they may expose who may not be so lucky if they get the flu from them. Protecting one person actually protects many,” she says.
According to Neeshan, this year’s vaccine, as usual, has three different strains of influenza that receivers will be immunized against. She says that scientists are good at predicting what strains will be the most prevalent. In other words, though it is not completely foolproof to avoid the flu, getting the shot gives you a far higher chance of avoiding it than merely hoping you don’t catch it without being immunized.