Vials of the Influenza vaccine at the Whittier Street Health Center in Boston, Mass., Jan. 9. (Courtesy of AP)
As the semester ramps up, SMU students have more than just classes to worry about.
The flu season is back and it may be shaping into a bad one.
According to the Center of Disease Control’s latest report, “influenza activity is high across most of the United States.”
The strain of the Influenza virus varies from year to year and it is recommended to receive a flu shot as soon as it becomes available. This way the body is well equipped against the flu.
But for those who faint at the sight of a needle there is also a nasal spray flu vaccine known as the “Live Attenuated
Influenza Vaccine.”
The flu season can start as early as October and can last until May. The season reaches its peak in January and February.
“SMU emails students with everything they need to do to get a flu shot which makes it easy and it was free,” first-year Moez Sayani said.
While students run the risk of getting the flu, younger children, the elderly, and people with certain health illnesses are more prone to serious flu-related complications.
The flu can spread quickly and up to six feet away.
Be on the lookout for the telltales signs of coughing, runny noses, and sneezing.
The CDC reports that the number of flu related deaths can range from 3,000 to 49,000 in a given season.
“I am being more conscious of washing my hands and I make sure to eat healthier,” first-year Katherine Zopatti said.
Symptoms include but are not limited to fever, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, and muscle aches. Students and faculty who find themselves with these symptoms are recommended to stay home up to 24 hours after their fever has subsided.
A healthy individual can infect another person without even realizing it.
A person who becomes infected can begin to infect others one day earlier than symptoms develop and to five to seven days after becoming sick, the CDC reports.
The Memorial Health Center offers flu shots to faculty and students. Vaccines are available on campus during immunization hours.
