Flu shots available at Purdue Student Health Center
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The influenza season is here, but it's not too late to be vaccinated.
Purdue University has at least 600 doses of vaccine, which will be available while supplies last at the Purdue Student Health Center, said its director James Westman. This year's seasonal flu shot contains the H1N1 vaccine, so only one shot will be needed.
Indiana has joined 29 other states in reporting widespread cases of influenza as the apparent peak of the flu season sweeps through the state, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC advises that everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu vaccine each year, starting with the 2010-11 influenza season. Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. Getting the seasonal flu vaccine reduces the chance that you will get seasonal flu and lessens the chance that you will spread it to others.
Seasonal flu shots on campus are offered to students, benefits-eligible faculty and staff, graduate staff, official Purdue retirees, and their spouses/same-sex domestic partners.
The Urgent Care Center, on the ground floor of PUSH, 601 Stadium Mall Drive, will have flu shots available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday while supplies last. No appointment is needed. Bring your Purdue identification card to the center. Vaccinations are a covered benefit for faculty, staff, retirees and spouses. Students pay $15.
In addition to the vaccination, Westman says the best way to avoid getting or giving the flu is to avoid individuals who are ill with the flu, wash your hands frequently, eat a healthy diet, get plenty of rest and cover your cough with your shoulder to avoid spreading the virus.
Writer: Jeanne Norberg, 765-494-2084, jnorberg@purdue.edu
Source: James Westman, 765-494-1720, westman@purdue.edu