Staying Healthy: Avoiding the Flu
Vaccinate, Don't Hesitate!
PSAs available for young adult and college students!
News for Campuses
This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending flu vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older. Even healthy adults 19 through 24 years of age should get vaccinated.
Life can get pretty hectic sometimes. Whether it’s school, work, or your social life, you probably think you have other, more important things to do than get vaccinated against the flu. Last season, the flu attacked adults 19-24 years of age much more than usual, which resulted in missed classes, missed work, and far worse--trips to the ER, hospitalization, or even death.
Fortunately, there is a quick and easy way for you to protect yourself, and to keep from spreading the flu to friends and family. Get a flu vaccine. One shot or nasal spray will help protect you against the three strains of virus predicted to cause illness this season -- including the 2009 H1N1 strain, which is still circulating.
If you think you do not have time to get vaccinated, think again! It is easier than ever to get a flu vaccine. And if you are healthy, you can get the nasal spray if you are afraid of needles. You usually do not even need a doctor’s appointment. Most pharmacies, drugstores, and supermarkets offer walk-in clinics that are usually very quick and have convenient hours. In addition, most university clinics offer free or reduced-price flu vaccination for students. But the longer you wait, the longer the lines are likely to be. Flu vaccine is now available in various locations. So don’t wait -- vaccinate.
The few minutes it will take you to get a flu vaccine is much shorter than the days you might have to take off from school, work, or both if you get sick with the flu. It takes about two weeks to build immunity against flu, so it is important to act now in order to be fully protected by the time flu outbreaks begin. By immunizing yourself against flu you will help protect your family, friends, classmates, and co-workers, too.
For more information, visit Flu.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).
Additional Resources:
CDC Free Print Resources: The CDC has developed and made available a variety of free print resources campuses can download, including flyers, posters, and brochures.
US Department of Education: Includes video, audio, text, and pdf files with updates, information on how to protect one's self from the flu, and communication templates for campuses
US Department of Health and Human Services: Includes updates about prevalence rates, FAQ on the H1N1 Flu, and links to information about other types of flu
Campus Communication Example (pdf): Virginia Commonwealth University provided a flyer they created for their campus that can be a model for other campuses. We encourage you to create your own media (i.e., flyer, poster, advertisement) that uses relevant components of VCU's flyer as well as your campus' contact information.
