Article- Protect Yourself Against the Flu

September 27, 2012 (View printable version)

To UWRF students, faculty, and staff,

Get a Flu Vaccine!

One of the best ways to avoid getting influenza is to get an annual flu (influenza) shot (see below for where persons can obtain influenza vaccines for the 2012-2013 influenza season, including two on-campus flu shot clinics). All people 6 months and older are now recommended to receive annual influenza vaccination. CDC recommends that influenza vaccination begin as soon as vaccine becomes available in the community and continue throughout the flu season. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza, and influenza seasons can begin as early as October.

Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.

• Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.
• Stay Home When You Are Sick. Flu symptoms may include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills, and fatigue, and vomiting and diarrhea may also occur.  If you have influenza symptoms, you should stay home, meaning do not go to classes or work for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever.

Stay Home When You Are Sick

Flu symptoms may include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills, and fatigue, and vomiting and diarrhea may also occur. If you have influenza symptoms, you should stay home, meaning do not go to classes or work for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever. Ask a roommate, friend, or family member to check up on you and to bring you food and supplies if needed. For students living in the residence halls, isolation meals can be arranged by completing the isolation meal form, which can be found at the top of this page, or by calling (715)425-4403 and asking for Dining Services. Disposable thermometers are available at each residence hall front desk and the Student Health Services office at 211 Hagestad Hall. For students who have influenza symptoms, contact your instructors via email or phone to let them know you will not be in class. You are expected to make arrangements to retrieve class notes from a peer and complete all missed work in a reasonable time frame. Communicate with your instructor if you have questions.  

In most cases, healthy individuals who develop influenza symptoms do not need to seek medical attention. Those with underlying medical conditions who develop influenza symptoms should contact their health care provider.

Below is information about where persons can obtain influenza vaccines for the 2012-2013 influenza season, and where to go for more information about seasonal influenza.

Influenza shots (including the intradermal flu shot, Fluzone) and FluMist (the intranasal influenza vaccine) are covered by Student Health Services at the River Falls Medical Clinic for current students. UWRF students must call ahead for an appointment to the River Falls Medical Clinic at (715)425-6701 or students may also contact their own health care provider if they wish. UWRF faculty and staff should contact their health care provider.

Currently, we plan to have two seasonal influenza vaccine clinics on campus this fall: 

1. Generally for UW-River Falls faculty and staff: 
   Tuesday October 30, 2012 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wind River Room 232  in the University Center (provided in collaboration with the River Falls Medical Clinic/Western Wisconsin Medical Associates). The cost for flu shots at this campus clinic if you do not have health insurance coverage is $35 (check or cash only). The River Falls Medical Clinic are providers for most of the UWRF insurance plans (Healthpartners, Anthem, WEA, Humana) but are not providers for the WPS State plan. A claim will be filed with your health insurance. If you have any questions about benefits you should contact your insurance plan directly. If you are not covered by one of the UWRF insurance plans or you are covered by WPS State plan, you can receive a flu shot at this campus clinic at a cost of $35.00 (check or cash only).
2. Generally for UW-River Falls students: 
   The second influenza vaccine clinic will be held on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. in the Wind River Room 232 in the University Center (provided in collaboration with Pierce County Public Health Department). The cost for flu shots at this campus clinic will be free for students and $30 for non-students (so anyone can receive a seasonal flu shot at this clinic for $30). Only 100 doses of flu shots will be available at this clinic.

Seasonal Influenza Vaccines Also Available:

Seasonal influenza vaccines are also currently available through both Pierce County Public Health Department (715/273-6755) and Saint Croix County Public Health Department (715/246-8263) for $30. Please check local papers for area clinics, dates, times, and locations, or call for more information.  

• The River Falls Medical Clinic is currently offering seasonal influenza shots for $35.  The Clinic also currently has FluMist (nasal spray; live, attenuated virus; persons aged 2-49 years old), but at a higher cost ($45), as well as Fluzone High-Dose for persons 65 years or older ($35). Again, influenza shots (including Fluzone intradermal) and FluMist are covered by Student Health Services at the River Falls Medical Clinic for current UWRF students. Persons must call ahead to 715/425-6701 to schedule an appointment.  

• Family Fresh Pharmacy (715/425-8494) (303 South Main Street, River Falls) ($29.99, no appointment necessary, adults only)
• Shopko Pharmacy (715/425-6272) (1777 Paulson Road, River Falls) ($29.99, no appointment necessary, age 6 and older)
• Walgreens Pharmacy (715/426-4089) (1047 N. Main Street, River Falls) ($31.99 for regular flu shots, age 7 and older; $36.99 for the intradermal flu shot, age 18-64; $48.99 for high dose, age 65 and older, usually covered by Medicare part B; walk-ins only) are all offering seasonal influenza shots

The Influenza Vaccination Information Statement for the 2012-2013 seasonal influenza vaccine is available at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flu.pdf  (Inactivated influenza vaccine) or http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flulive.pdf (Live, intranasal influenza vaccine).  

For more information about what’s new about the flu vaccine for the 2012-2013 flu season, check out the Centers for Disease Control web page at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2012-2013.htm.

Learn More

To learn more about influenza, check out http://www.flu.gov or the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Seasonal Influenza web page at http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/influenza/index.htm. In particular, check out “Take 3 Steps” to Fight the Flu at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm.

Right now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is concerned about a new flu virus that has been found in U.S. pigs and that has infected people too, including cases in Wisconsin. This virus – called H3N2v – may spread more easily from pigs to humans than is usual for swine flu viruses. However, the virus does not usually infect people and is not spreading easily among people in the general community. The severity of human illness caused by H3N2v is similar to seasonal influenza. Public health authorities are watching this situation closely. For information about how to protect yourself against H3N2v, go to http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/h3n2v-factsheet.htm.

For more information about University’s response to emergencies, go to https://www.uwrf.edu/Emergency.  For more information or questions, contact Student Health Services at 425-3293.

 

 

^{Alice Reilly-Myklebust, RN, MSN
Director, Student Health Services and Counseling Services
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
410 South Third Street
River Falls, WI 54022
Telephone: 715/425-3293
FAX: 715/425-3573
E-mail: alice.m.reilly-myklebust@uwrf.edu}