How to protect yourself and other students from this year’s virus
It is time to get over the fear of needles. This year’s flu vaccine has arrived, and so has the flu.
According to Sandra Sonoda, a nurse practitioner at Wardenburg, the first case of the flu in Boulder was confirmed last week.
Although the typical flu season usually occurs in January and February, this year it has started earlier. Now is the time to get a flu shot, and here are the top three reasons why.
1.The Flu wants YOU.
Most people believe, whether they admit it or not, that the flu is little more than myth. This may be why many college students opt out of the vaccine.
“A lot of people seem to think the flu is like a mild cold, but it is terrible,” Sonoda said.
The reality is that many students get the flu. According to Wardenburg, one fourth of flu cases in Boulder are people between the ages of 18 and 27.
Despite this high percentage of cases, many students do not get the vaccine.
“A majority of the campus does not get flu shots,” Sonoda said.
Wardenburg officials warn that the symptoms of the flu aren’t fun to deal with.
“The flu knocks you out for at least a week,” said Alyssa Baumbach, assistant to the director of Wardenburg. “It is not fun; all you want to do is sleep.”
The flu can include a variety of symptoms, such as: nausea and or stomach pain, fever, body aches and pains and fatigue.
“Students come in with a 101 degree fever,” Sonoda said. “They miss class for days and are too tired to get out of bed.”
2. The shot costs less than a pair of Uggs.
The vaccine is only $25 at Wardenburg.
Although a shot may not be a favorite fall purchase, at the end of the day a healthy immune system might be.
“Every year, scientists predict which strain of the flu is going to be the most prevalent,” said Anne Schuster, a Wardenburg community health advisor. “This is because there are multiple ways that the flu could manifest.”
The vaccine is for the strain of flu that researchers feel is going to be prominent that particular year. Most of the time, the researchers are right on.
A small feat of scientific medicine, under $50. (CQ)
3. A Flu Shot is Long Term.
Since the typical flu, even at its worst, lasts less than a week, how can it really be that bad?
The reality is that even a minor case of the flu can have lasting effects on the immune system and overall health.
“The flu can affect long-term health,” Sonoda said. “It takes a long time to get back to your normal self after the flu.”
Since it takes the vaccine two weeks after it enters the body to become effective, the flu shot is normally about two months before flu season.
“I have noticed that after we give a student a vaccine they don’t normally come back,” Sonoda said.
The shot is more effective on younger generations than it is on older ones. Thus, the typical college age student has a better chance of being protected by the shot.
By getting a vaccine, you can help to stop the spread of the flu and protect those who are more susceptible.
“If you are going home for Thanksgiving to see your Grandma, get a flu shot,” Sonoda said. “You can pass it on the first two days you get the flu, without having any symptoms.”
Though the flu is short, it will last long and do serious damage to overall body health.
“I would definitely urge students to get [the vaccine] right now,” Sonoda said.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Emily Sturges at emily.sturges@colorado.edu
