BOB体育

Flu season starts in October, and the is already in gear, arming students, faculty and staff against the virus. More than 500 people received flu shots during a mass vaccination event on the center鈥檚 front lawn Sept. 20.

Raquelle Newman, a junior from Fort Lauderdale who was passing by, rolled up her sleeves for a shot administered by nurse Lily Hummer, R.N. Ever since a severe case of the flu landed the health education and behavior major in bed for four days during her freshman year, she hasn鈥檛 hesitated to get an annual flu shot.

鈥淚鈥檓 trusting in its ability to protect me, and I鈥檓 not going to be as worried come flu season that I will get the flu again,鈥� Newman said. 鈥淚 had to learn the hard way, I suppose.鈥�

Newman scored an orange and blue 鈥淔lu Shots, Shots, Shots, Everybody!鈥� T-shirt for being among the first to be vaccinated.

The event was just one of the Student Health Care Center鈥檚 many flu vaccination outreach events across campus for students, faculty and staff being held between now and November. Some students registered online in advance, and many more, like Newman, simply dropped by to get their shots.

鈥淚 think it was a huge success, and we were able to vaccinate a large number of people in a relatively short period,鈥� said ., director of the UF Student Health Care Center.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older receive a flu shot each year. Not only does the shot protect people from becoming sick, it prevents them from infecting others.

鈥淚f you think about a college campus, with people in classrooms and residence halls 鈥� that just compounds the transmission issue further,鈥� Barkley said.

Health care workers who are vaccinated protect their patients as well.

鈥淭he benefits to the campus and society are just huge, and we鈥檙e working hard to help protect the UF campus and our UF family,鈥� Barkley said.

Some people who have had sniffles and aches recently might feel that they鈥檝e had the flu and so can forego vaccination.

But not so fast, Barkley said.

鈥淪ometimes what we think is the flu, if not confirmed by culture, can be other things,鈥� Barkley said. 鈥淩ight now we鈥檙e so early in the flu season that it鈥檚 very unlikely for people to have already had the flu 鈥� there would be almost no reason, even if you think you got the flu, to not get the flu shot this year.鈥�

Vaccination outreach efforts continue across campus for the next several weeks, at the Founders Gallery, the Shands at UF Atrium and the Reitz Union. Free flu shots will also be offered to all UF employees Oct. 23 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium during the UF Employee Benefits Fair.

For more details on where and when you can get a free flu shot, visit the . Then simply show up with your ID and roll up your sleeves.

鈥淚t鈥檚 such a quick and simple measure to not only protect yourself and your family but to protect your community,鈥� Barkley said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 safe, it鈥檚 effective and it鈥檚 the right thing to do.鈥�