It’s flu season again, and Lipscomb’s Health Center staff is encouraging students to be proactive by getting a flu shot.
“Getting a flu shot for $20 at the nurse’s office is a lot easier than spending all of your time catching up on a week’s worth of missed assignments from being sick,” said Lipscomb’s Nurse Practitioner Bethany Massey.
No one likes the aches, pains, chills and vomiting. Getting the flu vaccination now can prevent all of those. Massey said it’s especially important for people with chronic medical conditions to get a flu shot.
“Something as basic as asthma to even diabetes or any epilepsy or neurological conditions… it is extremely important for those people to get a flu shot because the flu can really affect them and make them have more complications versus someone with a normal immune system,” she said. “Those people are more likely to get pneumonia, to be hospitalized or even die from the flu. The flu is a very serious illness that can cause a lot of problems for people. So, it’s very easy to just swing by our office to get the vaccination.”
“Some people think you will get the flu from the flu vaccination, but that is simply not possible,” according to the health center staff, which reports that the only reactions possible are very mild flu symptoms that mean your body is “responding to the vaccination.” The symptoms wouldn’t be enough to sideline you from normal activities or classes.
“Even if you are generally a healthy person, you can get sick from the flu,” according to Lipscomb’s health services office website. “You can also spread the virus to others, even before showing any symptoms.”
The health center recommends that you not subject yourself to sick friends, co-workers, family members or classmates during the first two weeks after you get your flu shot. That is the time it takes to get completely in your system.
Massey also offered a few other tips for promoting good health during flu season.
“We encourage people to wash their hands with soap and water,” she said. “Be more diligent about that, especially during this cold temperature season. Wash hands for 20 seconds and cough into your elbow rather than into your hands to prevent the spread of germs. Stay out of class if you are sick. If you have a fever you need to be out of class. Make sure to give yourself plenty of rest to get over being sick so you don’t have any further complications.”
The Health Center offers flu shots any time during regular business hours, 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. They suggest you give yourself about 25 minutes to spend in the clinic. The $20 cost can be paid by cash, check or charged to your Lipscomb account.