Syracuse University Health Services will hold its first free flu vaccine clinic for SU and SUNY-ESF students on Thursday.

The clinic will be held in Flanagan Gymnasium from noon to 4 p.m. SU Health Services will also continue to offer flu vaccinations on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons throughout the month of October, said Kathy VanVechten, a nurse practitioner and special assistant to the director of SU Health Services.

The flu usually hits during early November and into January, VanVechten said.

“For students in particular, the flu can last between four to seven days,” she said. “It can really impact students’ productivity at the end of the semester.”

VanVechten said it’s important for students to get vaccinated, especially with the timing of flu season. Flu activity in the United States usually peaks in January or February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. But VanVechten said the flu could happen all year round.

Bree Mostafa, a freshman philosophy and photography major, said she’s “90 percent sure” she’ll go to the flu clinic.

“I’m from the desert, so I’m used to the warmth, and the cold here really does not keep my immune system to its full capacity, so I think a flu shot would help,” said Mostafa, who’s from Dubai.

“I feel like everybody’s got a cold right now,” she said, adding she’d rather be “safe than sorry.”

One misconception about the flu vaccine is that it can give someone the virus; the CDC’s website states the vaccine cannot give someone the flu.

A possible explanation for this misconception is that some people already have the flu virus in their bodies when they get the vaccine, VanVechten said. When they do get sick, they assume it’s because of the vaccine, she said.

But, VanVechten added, by getting vaccinated, students not only help themselves, but also keep other students from getting sick. She said even if someone has a mild case, he or she could spread it to others.

VanVechten emphasized hand washing as “the single most important thing.” She listed eating well, getting enough rest and avoiding alcohol as other ways students can protect themselves from the flu.

Abigail Bogle, a freshman television, radio and film major, said though she feels it is easier to get sick living in a residence hall, preventative actions such as hand washing can help.

“A lot of people in my hall are getting sick, and I feel like one of those reasons is because they aren’t practicing good hygiene,” she said, adding how some people do not wash their hands after using the bathroom.

The highly contagious nature of the flu underscores the importance of getting the vaccine, especially in college, with students living in close proximity and constantly interacting with each other.

“You guys come from all over the world and you bring different strains of viruses from all over the world,” VanVechten said. “As soon as you get here, wherever you live, you’re with someone from somewhere else. Your strain is different from their strain and you pass it back and forth.”

Published on October 3, 2013 at 1:50 am

Contact Ellen: ekmeyers@syr.edu | @ellenkmeyers