Cancel the annual influenza vaccination clinic for U.Va. COVID-19 and instead offer vaccinations at the prevalence testing site-Cavalier Daily

The University Student Health and Welfare Center Annual influenza vaccination clinic Due to concerns about COVID-19 infection, the university encourages students and faculty to be vaccinated by other means as an ongoing pandemic could further complicate this year’s flu season. ..

“We investigated the availability of the flu vaccine locally and determined that students could be vaccinated against the flu in multiple accessible locations,” said Jamie Leonard, director of the Health Promotion Office. Said in an email to Cavalier Daily.

Student Health and Wellness will set up a station in the Student Activity Building on Monday to vaccinate students. If students report on a mandatory COVID test, they also have the option of being vaccinated against the flu. Prevalence test appointments instead of walk-ins ensure that students arrive at appropriate intervals to maintain social distance.

The university expects about 200 flu shots daily at this station, for a total of 4,000 shots from October 26th to November 20th. They want this to be up and running by the end of October. Last year, the annual influenza clinic provided 1,542 vaccinations.

According to the Student Health and Wellness Center, flu shots are the most effective way to prevent infection and help reduce the burden on U.Va. Medical services. According to data collected in February 2020, 63% of college undergraduates reported being vaccinated against the flu the previous year.

The university recommends that students be vaccinated against the flu by the end of October. Through the HealthyHoos Patient Portal, students can schedule appointments for vaccination. Beginning October 31, Student Health and Wellness will increase availability by offering weekend bookings. The Student Health and Wellness vaccine costs $ 30 covered by the Aetna Student Health plan, but can be refunded with other insurance plans.

Corner or Barracks Road CVS has most insurance and accepts carry-on, but it is highly recommended to book online first. Other places to get a flu shot are Kroger, a prestigious family pharmacy, and Wegmans.

University faculty and staff are also encouraged to be vaccinated. Through partnerships with CVS and Aetna, vaccinations for university employees are covered by health insurance and can be vaccinated against influenza at CVS or other pharmacies.

The Student Health and Wellness Center promotes influenza vaccination through social media, email and U.Va. Newsletter. Information about influenza vaccination was also sent to parents by email from Patricia Lampkin, Vice President of Student Affairs.

Both COVID-19 and influenza are infectious respiratory diseases with similar symptoms. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of these symptoms are fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. It is difficult to tell the difference between coronavirus and influenza without testing, making it more difficult to diagnose and manage COVID cases in college. These viruses are so similar that most symptomatic students are tested for both.

The flu virus spreads by air droplets from an infected person’s sneeze or cough, or by touching the infected surface and then touching the mouth or nose. Social distance and other measures against COVID also prevent the spread of influenza.

The university encourages students to continue to wash their hands on a regular basis, wear facial covers, and focus on their health and well-being through regular sleep and exercise.

“At this time, there is no drug to treat COVID-19 unless someone is hospitalized for severe symptoms,” Meredith Hayden, Deputy Secretary-General of Student Health and Wellness, said in an email to Cavalier Daily. “But there are many drugs available to treat the flu, which can reduce the duration of symptoms and reduce the risk of disease progression.”

Ready-to-use flu medications include the antivirals Tamiflu and Relenza, and the over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs Tylenol and Advil that can reduce symptoms.

According to Hayden, the number of influenza cases at universities usually follows state and regional trends. As the number of cases of influenza increases in Virginia, the number of cases of influenza tends to increase in universities. Factors influencing the spread of influenza include vaccination rates, “matching” of vaccines against influenza strains, and student behavior.

The university encourages infected students to stay home and stay away from others until 24 hours have passed without fever. Influenza data is tracked on the Virginia Department of Health website.