The start of a new semester can mean many things for students, but unfortunately it can also mean the start of flu season. Influenza is spreading throughout the country this month, and to combat the problem the Creighton Center for Health and Counseling, located in the Harper Center, is sponsoring free vaccines as part of the Shoo the Flu program.

Under the guidance of Student Health nurse practitioner Christy Quillen, the office will be able to handle more appointments for the vaccine.

Two types of vaccines currently exist: the inactivated vaccine, more commonly referred to as the flu shot and injected into the arm, and the live vaccine, which is a weakened version of the flu virus and sprayed into the nostrils as FluMist®. Creighton currently offers the inactivated vaccine.

“It’s an effort to take away barriers to kids who don’t want to pay for vaccines, and we are trying to keep our campus free from influenza,” Sue Weston, Student Health nurse and assistant director for Campus Outreach, said.

Not to be confused with the stomach flu, the symptoms of influenza include fever, sore throat, chills, fatigue, coughing and headaches.

“Generally, students get very stressed when they’re sick, and this is a very easy and free way to prevent that sort of sickness,” Angela Maynard, Student Health nurse and the assistant director of clinical support at the Center for Health and Counseling, said.

Last school year, 3,262 vaccines were given out, along with 1,760 H1N1 vaccines.

“This year we’ve given 2,800 seasonal vaccines, and we still have vaccines available,” Weston said.

Last year’s H1N1 spread across campus quickly, causing many students to be quarantined and miss school for several days or even a week.

“Protecting our kids is the main objective, and we saw last year that people were being sidelined for a week or more with H1N1,” Weston said.

For one student in particular, getting the flu shot was a priority.

“After having the Swine Flu last year, I wanted to take all precautions I could,” said Arts & Sciences sophomore Mathew Nolan, who was quarantined with H1N1 last year and was sick for a whole week.

“I hate the sight of needles going in my arm, but I’ve always done shots and just wanted to keep with it.”

According to Weston, many people are hesitant to have the flu virus injected into them because they are concerned they will get sick from it.

“You can’t get the flu from the flu shot,” Weston said. “It’s a dead virus.”

Although some people still come down with influenza after the vaccination, it’s generally a much milder strain than if they hadn’t been vaccinated, Maynard said.

Last year was atypical because the flu season was so early, lasting from September through November. It usually it starts around January.

“People gather for the holidays and spread it,” Maynard said.

Call (402) 280-2735 to schedule an appointment.